Turkish warplanes have begun attacking northeastern Syria, causing widespread panic among Christian and other religious communities caught up in the aerial bombardments.

Pope Francis urged Syrian President Bashar Assad to put an end to his country's eight-year-long conflict and seek reconciliation for the good of the nation and its vulnerable people.

Military Council member Aram Hanna told Kurdistan 24 TV that he hopes a U.S.-led coalition would protect northeast Syria because Islamic State "sleeper cells still pose a threat."

The prelates noted that Christians "are an authentic component and founder" in Syria and Iraq. They called for solidarity among all citizens to build peace, hope and unity.

Pope Francis met with family members of Italian Jesuit Father Paolo Dall'Oglio, whose fate is still unknown after he was kidnapped in Syria in 2013.

The United Nations has described the Islamic State campaign against the Yazidis since 2014 as "genocide."