Syriac Christian minister Hoseb Abraham Bedoian and his father were shot dead on November 11 by two motorcycle gunmen who ambushed their car in north-east Syria.
Another church leader managed to escape the unidentified assailants, who attacked their unescorted vehicle around midday. Some reports have linked the gunmen to ISIS.
A few hours later, three bombs concealed on motorbikes were detonated in the city of Qamishli, in a coordinated attack targeting Kurdish and Christian communities, killing at least eight people – some reports numbered fatalities as high as 30. More than 50 people were injured in the blasts.
The bombs were detonated by remote control at five-minute intervals. The first exploded in a predominantly Kurdish district. The second exploded in the heart of the city’s market where a large number of Christians own property. The third was detonated on a road near a church and Christian school.
