Qamishli, Syria -- Ignatius Aphrem II, Syriac Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and All the East and Supreme Head of the Syriac Orthodox Church in the world, continues his journey in the cities of Hasakah province, northeastern Syria, to inspect the conditions of the Syriac-Assyrian community in the area. Patriarch Aphrem II and his accompanying delegation visited Sunday the Syriac-Assyrian churches in the city of Qamishli, in northeastern Syria. The convoy was under the protection of Sutoro (Christian armed group) and the Syrian regime security forces. On Thursday, the Patriarch arrived to the airport of Qamishli coming from Europe to inspect the conditions of the Assyrians in the region, especially those who have fled from Tel Temir areas, amid reports of bombing the Virgin Mary Church in the nearby village of Tel Nasri by militants of the Islamic State group (IS/ISIS). The Virgin Mary Church is one of the renowned Christian monuments in the province of Hasakah. Notewothy, the IS radical group extended its control over large areas in the vicinity of Tel Temir, abducting and killing dozens of innocent civilians from the Assyrian community.