KRSC’s statement on rescued Swedish girl

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan24) – Kurdistan Region Security Council (KRSC) stated that the rescue operation of the Swedish girl was conducted on Feb. 17 by Special Forces from the Directorate General of Counter-Terrorism (CTD). 

In a statement published on Thursday, KRSC said that “before the operation...a group of opportunists made contact withthe family to exploit their difficult circumstances in an inhuman attempt to extort money, but they failed and put her life in grave danger.”

"Claims by the local press in Kurdistan that Swedish national, Ms Marilyn Nevalainen, was rescued through a smuggler are patently false," the statement added. 

“After the failed attempt, the girl’s family and Swedish authorities approached the Security Council and asked for assistance to rescue the girl from IS extremists,” the statement added. "Both sides [the girl’s family and the Swedish authorities] are well aware of the details of the rescue operation."

KRSC, in a statement released on Feb. 23 stated, “In a unique military operation, CTD rescued 15-year-old Marlin Stivani Nivarlain in the heart of IS-controlled territory near Mosul in northern Iraq.”

Nivarlain is from the southwestern city of Boras and in mid-2015, was deceived by IS extremists, brought to Syria, and then later transferred to Mosul.

In a special intelligence operation, her location was found and she was freed by CTD.

Reportin by Baxtiyar Goran

Editing by Ava Homa and Benjamin Kweskin