At least 19 of the 300 Christians in Syria who were held captive by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) last week have already been liberated on Sunday, according to local officials

The news gave the immediate family members of the Christian Assyrian community small comfort after the terrifying and distressing experience of abduction. But horror still remains over the fate of the hundreds of people still in the custody of the militant group

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The reason for their release was not immediately clear, but Bashir Saedi, senior official of the Assyrian Democratic Organization, said the 16 men and three women who were set free were in their 50's or beyond. This suggests that age must have been a factor in their liberation.

Saedi also said the 19 freed hostages, who are all from the community of Tal Ghoran, traveled by bus from the Islamic State camp of Shaddadeh, Hassakeh Province. They arrived safely at the Church of the Virgin Mary in Hassakeh.

Meanwhile, the fate of the more than 200 other Christian Assyrians still held captive by the Islamic State remains uncertain. Most of them are believed to have been taken by ISIS fighters to Shaddadeh, south of Hassakeh.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights activist group on one hand reported that 19 Christians have been released but placed the number at 17 men and two women. The inconsistency of the report could not be immediately reconciled.

Osama Edward, Sweden-based director of the Assyrian Network for Human Rights in Syria, said efforts were underway to try to negotiate the captives' release.

Assyrian leaders and Sunni tribal sheikhs, on the other hand, have started negotiating with ISIS for the release of the remaining prisoners.

"We're trying to contact any party that might help. We're working through our friends the tribal sheikhs," said Younan Talia, a senior official in the Assyrian Democratic Organization.

Other religious cultural minorities of both Syria and Iraq are now in great trepidation, believing that they might soon become the target of the Islamic State group.

TagsISIS, Hostage, Syrian Christians, freed prisoners, abduction