ISIS is holding 150 Assyrian Christians hostage and is expected to release a message Wednesday threatening to kill them, Usama Edward, founder of the Assyrian Human Rights Network, told CNN.
The video message will be directed to U.S. President Barack Obama and other members of the U.S.-led coalition against ISIS, Edward said, citing the latest information from the network’s team on the ground.
The Assyrians were kidnapped from villages near Tal Tamer in northeastern Syria early Tuesday. Initial estimates put the number seized at between 70 and 100 people.
Edward said the latest information indicated the hostages had been moved to an ISIS-controlled location.