Christians in Syria Form Militias Against Al Qaida Rebels
The regime of President Bashar Assad has helped Christians form militias in Syria by sending advisers and weapons to stave off raids by Islamic fighters linked to Al-Qaida.
"The Christians see the Assad regime as their only hope of staying in Syria," a source said.
The sources said thousands of Christians were joining the Syrian Army as well as such regime militias as National Defense Forces and the Popular Committees. They said NDF helped organize Christian units to protect communities, particularly in eastern Syria.
Christians also joined special operations forces in the campaign to recapture Aleppo. Christians, often fighting alongside their Kurdish neighbors, were also said to have played a significant role in Syrian Army operations in the northern provinces of Dir Al Zour and Hasaka, strongholds of Al Qaida’s Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.