At Least Eight Syrian-Armenians Have Died Due to Violence in the Last Three Months
ALEPPO, Syria (A.W.)—Sarkis Kouyumjian—a Syrian-Armenian who had suffered major head trauma during an attack on Aleppo’s Nor Kyugh district on Aug. 7—died on Aug. 12. Kouyumjian, who was being treated at the Al-Razi hospital in Aleppo, was in a coma for five days, before succumbing to his injuries, reported Armenia-based Arevelk news.
Kouyumjian had been a longtime member of Homenmen, and had served on the organization’s executive body and fanfare group in Aleppo. Kouyumjian was laid to rest on Aug. 12, at the Surp Asdvadzadzin (St. Mary) Armenian Apostolic Church of Aleppo.
At least eight Syrian-Armenians have died due to violence in Aleppo in the last three months.
A stray bullet killed 16-year-old Syrian-Armenian Krikor Minasian in Aleppo on the night of July 15. The Aleppo-based Armenian news outlet Kantsasar reported that celebratory gunfire in response to the attempted military coup in Turkey may have been the cause of the stray bullet. Less than a week earlier, Panos Aghazarian (b. 1994), a member of the Syrian Armed Forces, was killed in military clashes in Aleppo on July 10. Two other Syrian-Armenians—Hripsimeh Chazarian and Sosi Ghazarian-Hekimian—were also injured on July 9, according to Kantsasar.
In June, five ethnic Armenians were killed in a week. Aleppo’s Armenian-populated Nor Kyugh and Zvartnots districts were attacked by more than 30 missiles on June 2, killing several civilians. The attack, which reportedly came from militant opposition groups, also destroyed many buildings, including homes and stores. Vazken Jabaghchourian, Levon Kelkhacherian, Hovsep Janessian, and Khatchig Aboulaboutian were among those killed in the attack.
On May 26-27, the Vergine Gulbenkian Birthing Center-Hospital, which had served as a senior citizen’s home during the war, was extensively damaged in another rocket attack that killed Maral Guligian, a center employee. Der Zareh Shakarian, Jack Hadad, and one other employee suffered minor injuries in the attack. The senior citizens of the center were consequently relocated for the third time since 2012.
ARMENIANS IN ALEPPO SHOULD BE RELOCATED TO ARMENIA TO LIVE THERE PERMANENTLY OR UNTIL THERE IS PERMANENT CEASEFIRE IN SYRIA. PREFABRICATED HOUSING SHOULD BE BUILT AND A TELETHON SHOULD BE ORGANIZED TO FUND THE EXPENSES. ALSO COUNTRIES THAT ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS WAR BY SUPPORTING THE REBELS SHOULD PAY. ARMENIAN POLITICAL PARTIES IN THE DIASPORA SHOULD ALSO RESEARCH WHY SYRIAN ARMENIANS PREFER TO GO TO NORTH AMERICA INSTEAD OF ARMENIA.
I TOTALLY AGREE
The devastating war in Syria is not properly reported by most of the western media so we don’t hear about attacks on hospitals in the regime held districts. I can understand that despite everything some Armenians are trying to hang on there because it is their homeland. The only way to end the violence is for the proxies to stop supporting such groups that have such extreme agendas and for the regime to reach deals with the more moderate rebels. But are there any moderate rebels? Saudi Arabia has been the biggest funder of this destructive belief system that is fascist in nature. The regime is also to blame for its indiscriminate killing of civilians, of torture -what are people supposed to do? No one seems capable of stopping this war.