Yerevan condemns attack on Armenian church in Aleppo


Yerevan condemns attack on Armenian church in Aleppo –

Official Yerevan has condemned the partial destruction of an Armenian Catholic church in war-torn Syria’s largest city of Aleppo after a shelling widely blamed on Islamist rebels. 

The St. Rita Church was reportedly hit by mortar rounds on Friday as surrounding neighborhoods came under fire. While nobody was reported hurt in the shelling, according to images posted online, the church’s roof and walls were damaged. 

“Encroachments against sacred places are unacceptable and are evidence of the barbaric and wild nature of those who make them,” Armenian Foreign Ministry spokesman Tigran Balayan said over the weekend. 

“The international community should redouble its efforts to prevent such crimes against civilians, minorities and shrines,” he added in a statement. 

This is the second major case of an Armenian church being damaged amid the civil conflict in the troubled region that is home to a large ethnic Armenian population. The Holy Martyrs Church in Deir ez-Zor, which was part of an Armenian genocide memorial complex built in 1989-1991, was blown up by Islamic State militants in September. Armenia condemned that attack as well.


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