Ottawa, Ontario - Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada

The Honourable Rob Nicholson, P.C., Q.C., M.P., Minister of Foreign Affairs, today issued the following statement:

“Once again, the so-called Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant [ISIL] has demonstrated its contempt for the sanctity of human life through its March 31 attack on the Syrian town of Al Maboujeh, on the outskirts of Salamiyeh. Reports indicate that over 40 people, mostly civilians, were killed, and that dozens more were injured. An unknown number of civilians were also reportedly abducted by the terrorist group. As ISIL continues its campaign to seize territory in Syria, innocent people such as those in Salamiyeh are at risk.

“Al Maboujeh is largely populated by religious and ethnic minority communities, including Christians, Druze, Alawites, Sunni Bedouins, Shi’a Ismailis, among others, who have been systematically targeted and persecuted by ISIL terrorists. The Government of Canada condemns this slaughter of civilians in the strongest possible terms and reiterates its profound concern for the fate of religious and ethnic minority communities being targeted by ISIL. These attacks are emblematic of ISIL’s barbarity. They are also a particularly savage reminder of the wholesale brutality and misery that has afflicted all Syrians for the past five years.

“The Assad regime’s violence, including ongoing indiscriminate attacks using barrel bombs against civilians, has fed extremism across the country and region. The ongoing stalemate in the military conflict in Syria continues to exact a horrific cost for all Syrians, underscoring the need for a political solution to end the country’s increasingly malignant tragedy.

“Canada will continue to cooperate closely with our partners as we work to degrade and disrupt ISIL’s ability to inflict harm in the region and here at home in Canada, while advancing a political settlement that will allow all Syrians to return to their homes in peace.”

Quick Facts

• Canada’s collective response goes beyond the provision of military support to include diplomacy as well as humanitarian, stabilization and development assistance.
• Canada’s response to date has been comprehensive:
• Taking action to protect Canadians on the domestic front from the evolving threat of terrorism;
• Taking action at home and abroad to stem the flow of foreign fighters;
• Deploying military personnel and assets to counter ISIL power bases in Iraq and Syria;
• Providing critical humanitarian assistance to innocent civilians in ISIL-affected areas;
• Supporting the stabilization of the region; and
• Working with international partners to cut off ISIL’s funding sources.