Here is my rough translation from the Arabic of the UPI story: “Breaking: Gunmen expel families from Christian village in Hama, Syria,” from UPI Arabic, May 10:
Damascus, Syria, May 10 (UPI) – Gunmen Thursday expelled all Christian families from the village of Qustul al-Burg in the rural province of Hama in central Syria.
A local source from among the villagers told United Press International that “armed takfiris from the region came to the village and threatened us, demanding that we leave our homes and evacuate the village empty-handed.”
“Takfiris” are those who practice takfir, or the pronouncing of rival Muslim groups as infidels so that they can be killed legally under Islamic law. It is a common term for Islamic jihadists.
The source, who preferred not to be named, said the militants “took control of all the houses in the village houses, and occupied the church and made it into their headquarters.”
The village of Qustul al-Burg is in the province of Hama, in the northern part of the jungle plain, 42 km from Alsagalbeh and 48 km northwest of Hama. It contains around 10 Christian families.