Assyrian man killed in Syria after refusing to pay extortion
George Ishoh, a goldsmith from an Assyrian family originally from Hasakah in the Assyrian Gozarto Region of Syria, is the latest victim of the ongoing lawlessness and security collapse in the country.
Ishoh was shot and killed by masked gunmen outside his home in the al-Mahatta neighborhood in the city of Homs.
According to multiple sources, Ishoh, a father of two, had refused to pay extortion money to an armed gang, which is believed to have led to his murder. He was shot in the head before the attackers fled the scene. Neighbors rushed him to University Hospital in a desperate attempt to save his life, but he was pronounced dead on arrival.
At the time of the attack, Ishoh was home alone. His wife–originally from the Rûm village of al-Qalatia in Wadi al-Nasara (Valley of the Christians)–and their son were away from town.
The killing comes in the wake of the bombing of the Mar Elias Greek (Rûm) Orthodox Church in Damascus, which left dozens dead and injured.
