Syria militants move kidnapped nuns

Foreign-backed militants have reportedly moved a group of Christian nuns they kidnapped last year as negotiators lost contact with the group.

The militants abducted 13 nuns and three maids from the ancient Christian town of Ma’loula on December 2, 2013 and transported them to the nearby town of Yabroud, which is a militant stronghold that government forces are fighting to retake.

“I was in regular contact with them, but since yesterday we’ve lost contact,” said a source involved in negotiations.

She also said that the nuns have probably been transferred to a region between Yabroud and Lebanon’s border.

“Contacts are underway to try to ensure their safety,” she added.

The source further noted that the nuns were kidnapped by militants from the al-Qaeda-linked group al-Nusra Front led by a man called Abu Malek al-Kuwaiti.

The militants had given a list of demands to negotiators including the release of all female prisoners in Syria’s jails and the withdrawal of government forces from Christian religious sites.

The militants fighting against the Syrian government had also attacked Ma’loula, which is regarded as a symbol of the ancient Christian presence in Syria, last September. However, they were pushed out of the town by the Syrian troops.

Syria has been gripped by deadly violence since 2011.

According to reports, the Western powers and their regional allies — especially Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey — are supporting the militants operating inside Syria.