Armenians of Havrezk in Iraq are ready to face threats from ISIS

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Armenians of Havrezk in Iraq are ready to face threats from ISIS –

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One of the Armenian self-defence detachments from Havrezk

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Armenians from the Iraqi Kuridish village of Havrezk have swapped their farmer’s garb for military uniforms and armed themselves for self-defence reports the Lebanese news station LBC.

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They are currently patrolling the village’s surrounding areas for any potential threats from “ISIS” or other groups.

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The village’s leader meets with the men protecting the village every night to help support them in their efforts. While the village is currently safe, they want to be ready in case of an attack.

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Havrezk is located 70km away from Mosul, which is currently under ISIS control.

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Levon Shaghoyan, one of the leaders of Vaspouragan (Western Armenia), founded Havrezk in the 1920s. In the 70s, during the military operations between Iraqi and Kurdish forces, most of the Armenians fled the region. The village was reinstated in 2005 through the efforts of Sarkis Aghajan, a member of the Kurdish Democratic Party.

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In 2005, with the help of the Kurdish regime, 115 homes were built and Armenians from Baghdad, Basra and Mosul relocated and currently, 90 Armenian families reside in the village.

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In Iraq, the number of Armenians was close to 25,000, however due to the ongoing  conflicts and security issues in the region, that number has decreased.

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To watch the news report clip, click here:

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-NlDupmDA7k

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