An Armenian Catholic priest and his father have been shot dead and a deacon  has been wounded in Qamishli, northeastern Syria, local media reports say.  Fr. Hovsep Bedoyan and his father, Abraham Bedoyan died after gunmen attacked their car.  They were driving to inspect a local church and visit families in the area of Deir ez-Zor. In response, the multireligious Board of the International Dialogue Centre (KAICIID) issued the following statement:

This tragic and cowardly attack was carried out on innocent religious leaders as they went about their peaceful pastoral duties in an area besieged by violence and division.  The Board condemns the targeting of anyone based on their religious affiliation and offers its deepest sympathies to the families of the deceased.  There is no religious justification for murder.  We stand with the Armenian Catholic community at this difficult time.