Islamic State Releases 19 Christian Hostages in Syria

The Islamic State reportedly released 19 Christian hostages on Sunday after kidnapping over 220 Assyrians last week in Syria, activist groups say.

Questions now swirl as to why the Islamic State chose to release 19 of the hundreds of Assyrian Christians kidnapped last week from villages along the Khabur River in Hassakeh province, Syria.

According to the Associated Press, there are various suggestions as to why the 19 hostages were released and reunited with their families in Hassakeh after traveling by bus from the Islamic State stronghold of Shaddadeh.

The Assyrian Human Rights Network told the AP that the hostages were released after paying a tax imposed by the Islamic State for non-Muslims, while the Assyrian Democratic Organization said that all of the hostages released were 50 years of age or older, implying that their age played a factor in their release.

The freeing of 19 Christian hostages comes less than a week after the Islamic State threatened to kill 150 of the hostages, according to Osama Edward, founder of the Assyrian Human Rights Network.

The U.S. State Department released a statement condemning the Islamic State's kidnapping of the Assyrian Christians and denouncing the terror group's "brutal and inhumane treatment" of those who disagree with its practices.

"To bring an end to these daily horrors, we remain committed to leading the international coalition to degrade and defeat ISIL," the statement said. "And to working towards a negotiated political solution that stops the bloodshed and secures a future of freedom, justice and dignity for all Syrians."