Syrian President Expresses Condolences for the Murder of Armenian Priest

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has expressed condolences over the murder of Father Hovhannes Petoyan, the spiritual leader of the Armenian Catholic Church in Qamishli, and his father.

The president's condolences were conveyed to the priest's family and to the leader of the Qamishli Armenian Catholic community, Archbishop Andranik Ayvazyan, by Hilal al-Hilal, assistant to the secretary general of the ruling Ba'ath Party, as reported by RegionMonitor.

He noted that targeting clergy aims to silence those who advocate for solidarity, love, and peace. According to his statements, the act is a desperate attempt to create division within Syrian society.

It is worth mentioning that on November 11, terrorists opened fire on the priest's vehicle on the Deir ez-Zor road, resulting in the immediate deaths of the clergyman and his father, while their accompanying deacon, Fadi Sano, was injured. The clergy were on their way to Deir ez-Zor to inspect renovation work at the local church. Later, ISIS claimed responsibility for the murders of the Armenian priests.