Syrian Christians Evacuated From Bombed-Out City of Homs

Residents trapped in Christian neighborhoods in Syria's bombed-out city of Homs were evacuated last week after an agreement between army and rebel forces, Christianity Today reports. Between Tuesday and Wednesday, more than 60 people -- most identified as Christians -- were taken to safety. Christians have been increasingly caught in the middle of clashes between the Syrian army and rebels, and thousands have already fled Homs to a nearby area known as the "Valley of Christians." Though they have been criticized for it, many Syrian Christians have continued to stand behind President Bashar al-Assad's regime out of fears of greater persecution should a hard-line Islamist group come to power.