Takfiris claim abduction of 95 women, kids in Syria

Foreign-backed Takfiri militants operating in Syria have claimed responsibility for the abduction over 90 women and children from the Alawite minority in the Arab country last year.

A newly-released video shows the extremist militants admitting that they kidnapped at least 95 Alawite women and children from rural areas near the Syrian port city of Latakia in August last year.

According to the video, the militants said they had taken the civilians into captivity in an attempt to secure the release of their prisoners in the Syrian government’s jail.

The Takfiri militants also said they were prepared to exchange the civilian hostages for 2,000 detainees in government’s custody.

Alawite Muslims make up about 12 percent of the Syrian population.

Since the outbreak of the foreign-backed violence in Syria three years ago, Takfiri groups have targeted all religious groups, including Muslims and Christians, in the Arab country.

In a rare move earlier this month, Takfiri militants from the al-Qaeda-affiliated al-Nusra Front freed 13 Greek Orthodox nuns and three maids as part of a swap deal with the Syrian government. Damascus also released 25 prisoners in return.

The women had been kidnapped from the Mar Takla Orthodox orphanage in the ancient town of Ma’loula north of the capital, Damascus, on December 2, 2013.