Armenian killed in Syria 

ArmInfo. An Armenian has  died in Aleppo. This was reported by the Gandzasar newspaper.

The newspaper writes that 65-year-old doctor Yervand Arslanyan was  killed by a sniper while leaving Aleppo. He was taken to a hospital  in Hama, but his life could not be saved.

On November 30, information also began to circulate that, amid an  attack by pro-Turkish terrorists in Syria, the Consul General of  Armenia in Aleppo fled to Damascus. The Armenian community reported  that on November 29, the consulate staff left Aleppo, although in the  past, even during a large-scale war, the Armenian mission did not  close for a single day.

The Armenian Foreign Ministry commented on this situation, assuring  that the Consul General left for Damascus to receive his credentials,  was later unable to return to Aleppo and continues to work from  Damascus.

The Armenian authorities remain silent on the events around Syria,  despite the fact that there is a fairly large Armenian community in  this country. Only the Church has commented on the situation. As  Archpriest Vahram Melikyan reported on his Facebook page, Catholicos  of All Armenians Garegin II expressed his support for the Armenians  of Syria. "On Saturday, November 30, 2024, Catholicos of All  Armenians Garegin II contacted the head of the Armenian Diocese in  Damascus, Bishop Armash Nalpanthean, and learned about the  developments and situation in recent days. The bishop provided  details about the crisis in Syria and the challenges faced by Syrian  Armenians. Then Patriarch Garegin II conveyed his calls and  instructions to Bishop Armash, expressing support and praying for the  Armenians of Syria," Melikyan's publication says.

And the position of the Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia Aram  I is published on the website of the Catholicosate.

The statement says that Arma I is closely monitoring the alarming  situation in Syria, which has developed as a result of the attack by  armed groups.

"The Patriarch maintains contact with the head of the diocese and the  responsible persons of the community, he highly appreciated their  responsible attitude to the well-being of the Armenian community.  We  inform you that armed clashes are generally taking place far from the  Armenian quarters," the statement of the Catholicosate says.

As previously reported by the media, citing the Syrian Defense  Ministry, the Syrian government army at the end of last week entered  into battle with terrorists who attacked the provinces of Aleppo and  Idlib. In violation of the de-escalation agreement, groups belonging  to the terrorist organization Hayat Tahrir al- Sham (formerly Jabhat  al-Nusra) attacked villages, settlements and military positions on a  wide front in the provinces of Aleppo and Idlib. 

According to the Syrian Defense Ministry, the army responded to the  attack, as a result of which the terrorists suffered losses in  manpower and equipment. On Saturday, the command of the Syrian Armed  Forces said that dozens of Syrian soldiers were killed in combat  operations against terrorist groups in the provinces of Aleppo and  Idlib, the army carried out a redeployment in order to save the lives  of civilians and soldiers and prepare for a counteroffensive. The  Syrian army reported that terrorists have penetrated into many areas  of the Syrian city of Aleppo, and the Syrian armed forces continue to  strike their positions and are awaiting the arrival of  reinforcements.