BREAKING: Artillery Shelling Hits Assyrian Villages Near Tal Tamr, Church Damaged
TAL TAMR, Syria - Heavy artillery shelling struck Christian villages in the countryside of Tal Tamer on Tuesday evening, damaging civilian areas and hitting the Mar Shmouni Church in the village of Tel Jumaa, according to local Assyrian and Syriac sources. No casualties have been reported at the time of publication.
Tal Tamer, located in Syria’s Hasakah Governorate, lies along a volatile frontline where multiple armed forces operate in close proximity. The area is home to historic Assyrian and Syriac Christian communities, many of which have already endured years of displacement, violence, and depopulation.
According to reports from Christian sources and local monitoring groups, successive explosions were heard across Tal Tamer and its surrounding countryside. Artillery shells landed in the villages of Al-Ghaibish (Al-Ghebesh) and Tel Jumaa, with at least one strike impacting the area surrounding the Mar Shmouni Church, a place of worship belonging to the Assyrian Church of the East.
The shelling occurred amid violent clashes involving rebel Kurdish-led forces and opposing armed groups operating near the town. The situation remains fluid, with reports indicating exchanges of fire across several nearby villages.
Conflicting Claims Over Responsibility
Responsibility for the shelling remains disputed.
The Syriac Military Council (MFS) stated that the fire originated from forces affiliated with Turkey positioned near Ras al-Ayn (Serekaniye), a nearby town currently under the control of Turkish-backed factions. According to the MFS, these forces targeted areas in and around Tel Tamr, prompting retaliatory fire.
Other reports circulating on social media have alleged involvement by the Syrian Arab Army and clashes with Kurdish forces in the area. However, these claims have not been independently verified, and multiple accounts contradict one another.
What is clear is that Christian villages once again found themselves caught in the crossfire, with damage to religious and residential sites.
No Casualties Reported. Chaldean Press Will Continue Monitoring
