Close X
Tuesday, November 26, 2024
ADVT 
International

Mother Of Canadian Killed Fighting ISIL Questions Delay In Returning Son's Body

The Canadian Press, 07 Feb, 2017 01:38 PM
    TORONTO — The mother of a Canadian man killed fighting Islamic State militants in northern Syria is questioning why her son's body still hasn't been recovered when the remains of a British fighter who died on the same day were on the way to the United Kingdom.
     
    Nazzareno Tassone, 24, was killed on Dec. 21 in the city of Raqqa, while fighting alongside the Kurdish People's Defense Units, a U.S.-backed group also known as the YPG.
     
    His family in Niagara Falls, Ont., only learned of his death in early January, when they received a letter from the YPG, which also said that his body had been seized by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, known as ISIS or ISIL.
     
    "I just want him home. I need him home," Tassone's mother, Tina Martino, said in an emotional interview. "I haven't been at work. I just sit here, day after day, waiting for the phone to ring and hope."
     
    The Toronto Kurdish Community Centre, whose leaders delivered the YPG letter to Martino, has said negotiations are underway between the YPG and ISIL to retrieve Tassone's body.
     
    The centre has also said that the YPG was simultaneously negotiating to recover the bodies of other fighters killed in combat on the same day as Tassone, including a British volunteer fighter named Ryan Lock.
     
    Martino said she recently learned Lock's body was recovered, making her wonder why her son's body has not.
     
    "I asked why wasn't Nazz with Ryan and the only thing they could say was that they believe the two boys were not together at the same time," she said. "(The Toronto Kurdish Community Centre) told me at the beginning I was going to have to wait four to six weeks. And now I don't understand, he passed away on Dec. 21."
     
    Martino said she's calling on the Canadian government, the Kurdish community and anyone who can help in the matter to do what they can to bring her son's body back to Canada.
     
    "All I want to do is get my word out in asking to get my son home," she said. 
     
    Ihsan Kaya, co-president of the Toronto Kurdish Community Centre, said he's been in contact with the YPG regularly about Tassone and noted that the Canadian man and his British co-fighter may have been separated but were believed to be fighting in the same area.
     
    "The YPG doesn't have (Tassone's) body yet but I hope we get the good news soon," Kaya said, adding that the region the YPG is fighting in is a volatile one with fast-shifting boundaries.
     
    Global Affairs Canada said officials were in contact with local authorities to gather information and were also providing Tassone's family with consular assistance.
     
    A spokeswoman noted, however, that "due to the unpredictable security situation" the Canadian government's ability to provide consular assistance in all parts of Iraq and Syria is severely limited.
     
    Tassone left Canada in June, telling his family he was headed to Iraq and Turkey to teach English. His family had suspected, given Tassone's long-standing interest in the military, that he might get involved in the Middle East conflict, but it was only after his death that they learned he'd been fighting in Syria.
     
    Martino said she's vowed not to have a funeral for her son until his body was repatriated.
     
    "I said that there would be no funeral, there would be nothing. But now I don't know."

    MORE International ARTICLES

    4-Year-Old Playing With A Gun On Thanksgiving Shot A 2-Year-Old Cousin In Philadelphia

    4-Year-Old Playing With A Gun On Thanksgiving Shot A 2-Year-Old Cousin In Philadelphia
    When authorities responded to the Philadelphia home on Thursday afternoon, they discovered a young child who had been shot, according to police.

    4-Year-Old Playing With A Gun On Thanksgiving Shot A 2-Year-Old Cousin In Philadelphia

    Indian Man Killed In UK After Car Cruise Control Malfunction

    Indian Man Killed In UK After Car Cruise Control Malfunction
    A 32-year-old Indian-origin man was killed on a slip road of a busy highway in the UK after the cruise control of his car got jammed, an inquest into his death was told.

    Indian Man Killed In UK After Car Cruise Control Malfunction

    Prime Minister Justin Trudeau Faces International Criticism Over Statement On Fidel Castro's Death

    "A legendary revolutionary and orator, Mr. Castro made significant improvements to the education and health care of his island nation," Trudeau said.

    Prime Minister Justin Trudeau Faces International Criticism Over Statement On Fidel Castro's Death

    Melania Trump Is Set To Be A Long-Distance First Lady

    Melania Trump Is Set To Be A Long-Distance First Lady
    Trump will move into the White House after the Jan. 20 inauguration. Breaking with tradition, Melania Trump and 10-year-old son Barron plan to remain in New York City until at least the end of the school year.

    Melania Trump Is Set To Be A Long-Distance First Lady

    Memorial In Honour Of Indian Bus Driver To Come Up In Brisbane

    Memorial In Honour Of Indian Bus Driver To Come Up In Brisbane
      A preliminary investigation by the Australian authorities into the killing of 29-year-old Manmeet Sharma alias Alisher has indicated mental illness of the assailant as the probable cause of the horrific crime.

    Memorial In Honour Of Indian Bus Driver To Come Up In Brisbane

    SPCA Says Flock Of Abandoned Ducklings Need New Homes In Metro Vancouver

    ALDERGROVE, B.C. — A mystery involving nearly 200 ducklings is unfolding in the community of Aldergrove, B.C.

    SPCA Says Flock Of Abandoned Ducklings Need New Homes In Metro Vancouver