Kurdish Family of Seven Kidnapped in Syria Freed After Ransom Paid in Lebanon
A Kurdish family of seven from Kobani was released after a ransom payment in Lebanon. The family is returning home, with the infant to undergo medical checks.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - After days of anguish, desperate appeals, and mounting public pressure, a Kurdish family of seven from Kobani has been released following a ransom payment in Lebanon, bringing an end to a kidnapping that had sparked widespread concern.
In an exclusive statement to Kurdistan24, Anwar Habash confirmed the release of his brother, Abdullah Habash Atto, and his family of six after a period of harsh detention in Syria’s Homs province.
The family was received in the Wadi Khaled area of Lebanon after being transferred from Syria to Lebanese territory.
Anwar Habash explained that the ransom payment was delivered the previous night in Lebanon. Masked men riding a motorcycle collected the agreed-upon bag of cash. Immediately after receiving the money, the kidnappers released the family, who had been held in extremely dangerous humanitarian and health conditions.
He said his brother Abdullah, his wife, and their five children are now on their way to Kobani. Although they are physically safe, the family is suffering from severe psychological distress due to intimidation and psychological torture inflicted during the period of abduction.
Regarding the eight-day-old infant, Anwar stated that the child’s condition is relatively stable. Upon arrival in Kobani, the baby will be transferred directly to hospital for comprehensive medical examinations after spending days in a damp basement without adequate care.
The release follows widespread appeals and intensive media coverage by Kurdistan24, which highlighted the family’s ordeal and the humanitarian risks they faced.
The family, originally from Kobani, had been abducted in Homs while attempting to reach Lebanon amid worsening humanitarian conditions in their hometown.
The victims included Abdullah Habash Atto, who suffers from a prior brain injury and requires daily medication, his wife Mardin Mahmoud Shukri, and their five children: Simaf, Mirva, Sharfan, Mira, and an eight-day-old infant.
According to information previously provided to Kurdistan24, the family was traveling from Kobani to Aleppo and then to Homs when they were lured and kidnapped by an armed group believed to be operating in the Tal Kalakh area in rural Homs.
Relatives reported that the family had been held in a damp basement lacking basic sanitary conditions. The children were suffering from severe chest infections and extreme hunger, while the infant faced serious health risks due to the absence of heating, nutrition, and proper medical care. Abdullah Habash Atto had also been deprived of his essential medication.
Kidnappers demanded $35,000 for their release and communicated exclusively through the victims’ personal mobile phones. Relatives said they received distressing audio recordings, photos, and videos showing children pleading for help, documenting psychological and physical abuse, and containing threats against the mother intended to pressure the family into paying the ransom.
Formal complaints had been filed with relevant authorities in Homs and Damascus, but no tangible progress was reported before the ransom payment secured the family’s freedom.
While the family has regained its freedom, the psychological scars and humanitarian impact of the ordeal remain, underscoring the continuing insecurity faced by civilians attempting to flee hardship.