Latakia not a safe place – Kessab Armenians on evacuation, looting and rapes

Syria’s Armenian-populated town of Kessab continues facing fierce battles between government forces and the Islamist militants.

Though the Armenians have been evacuated to Latakia, the town is not thought to be safe enough for the community. Speaking to Tert.am, Avetis Manjikyan, a 49-year old restaurant owner from Kessab, shared his concerns in this connection.

He referred to a soldier’s recount of rapes against elderly women. “A soldier who returned from Kessab today tells me that an elderly [woman], aged probably 70-80, was stripped naked and raped. The situation is very bad. They weren’t able to repeat the 1915 massacre; only looted and raped the elderly,” he said.

Ninety-nine percent of Kessab’s population was evacuated to Latakia after the town came under three-pronged armed attacks on Friday. They have found shelter in the city’s Armenian church and the adjacent buildings.

Though they feel protected in Latakia, the place isn’t safe for them, Manjikyan said.

“Three to four missiles fall down each day. Latakia is not a safe place. Our people left only with the clothes they had on. Many were without passports. Our Armenian youth of Kessab fought for three or four hours to help us free the people,” he added.

Manjikyan said they hear that the rebel groups from Turkey are now stealing their property. He said he has reports that his restaurant too, has been looted.

Asked whether they want to settle in Armenia, Manjikyan answered that Kessab is a small Armenia for them. “Our Armenia is here. We didn’t know what the Turks were plotting against us. We thought the Turks might have changed. We are part of Armenia, the last part of the Cilician Armenia. Even our mayor here is an Armenian,” he added.

Manjikyan said they are thankful to the Armenian authorities for the attention to the community.

“We are very thankful to the president, so if they send a plane to offer relief, it will be very good for us. The situation is not good here,” he said, noting that hundreds of people now live together in a small church hall.