The Islamic State (IS) militants on Sunday released 19 Christian Assyrians they had kidnapped last month, a monitoring group reported.
The 19 people are the first batch of 29 Assyrians the sharia court of the IS exonerated on Saturday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said, Xinhua reported.
On February 23, the IS abducted 220 Christian Assyrians during an assault it had waged on predominantly Assyrian areas, mainly in the area of Tal Tamr and its countryside in Syria's northeastern province of al-Hasakah.
The fate of the other abductees is still unknown amid reports that the rest of the Assyrians are awaiting trials in the IS courts.
There is no clear reason why would the IS even put the Assyrians on trial.
Also on Sunday, the pan-Arab al-Mayadeen TV said the Syrian troops captured as many as 33 towns in the eastern countryside of Hasaka after clashes with the IS.
The Pakistan Army said Friday that 200,000 people have been displaced in North Waziristan after an operation was launched against local and foreign militants in the region.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has expressed deep concern about unfolding events triggered by sectarianism and terrorist acts, a senior official of the country has said.
A city in the Netherlands is planning to build a separate neighbourhood to accommodate lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people, media reported Wednesday.
The federal government approved the controversial Northern Gateway Project Tuesday creating a stir amongst critics. The decision is subject to 209 conditions recommended by the National Energy Board and further talks with aboriginal communities.
US based rights group "Sikhs for Justice" has challenged US government's suggestion to a Washington court to grant immunity to former Indian prime minister Manmohan Singh in a human rights violation case.
