 In October 2013, four Assyrians were stopped while driving in a car and kidnapped by ISIL.According to the Syriac International News Agency, in May 2014, ISIL attacked an Assyrian village, which prompted the Assyrians to call the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) to help protect them.Since ISIL militants captured the city of Raqqa, some Assyrians from there and from Al-Thawrah fled to Tell Tamer as refugees.