After capturing Syrian town, IS abducts dozens of Christians

Activists say Islamic State group has abducted 230 residents, including dozens of Christians, from a central Syrian town captured by the extremists earlier this week.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and Syria-based activist Bebars al-Talawy say they have no information where IS militants took the residents after overrunning the heavily populated town of Qaryatain.

The Observatory said Friday that "dozens" of Christian were among the people abducted, while al-Talawy put the number at 60. He says the rest of those abducted are Sunni Muslims.

In February, IS kidnapped more than 220 Assyrian Christians, after overrunning several farming communities on the southern bank of the Khabur River in the northeastern province of Hassakeh.

Since then, only a few have been released and the fate of the others remains unknown.