A Yezidi girl rescued from ISIS captivity

The Kurdistan Region’s Kidnapped Yazidi Rescue Office has facilitated her release.

Kurdistan 24 2023/09/30 15:25

Newly rescued Yezidi girl embraced by her family in Duhok province following her release from ISIS captivity, Sept. 30, 2023. (Photo: Kurdistan 24)

Kurdistan Yezidi

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – A Yezidi girl, who had been previously abducted by ISIS during the terror group’s attack on the Yezidi majority town of Sinjar in 2014, reunited with her family on Saturday in Duhok province.

The girl, 22, has been rescued from Syria following her abduction nearly 10 years ago.

“Thanks to God, I am extremely happy that I have returned to my people,” she told Kurdistan 24 at a highway connecting Duhok province with Syria. Her name was not provided to Kurdistan 24.

Families and acquaintances gathered to greet the victim.

The Kurdistan Region’s Kidnapped Yazidi Rescue Office has facilitated her release.

There are now 3,575 rescued Yezidi women, including the latest victim, the head of the Office, Hussein Alqaidi, told Kurdistan 24 on Saturday, pledging the efforts will continue.

In Aug. 2014, ISIS militants attacked the Yezidi-majority town of Sinjar and nearby villages, killing at least 5,000 Yezidis as well as enslaving about 6,000 women and minors. Around 400,000 others were displaced by the offensive.

In a conference this August, Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani stated that 1,244 kidnapped Yezidi girls, and women, and 1,402 men, and youth are still missing.

Moreover, he said that strong efforts by the Kidnapped Yezidi Rescue Office resulted in the rescue of at least 1,208 women, 339 men, and 2,023 children.

“As long as there is one Yezidi kidnapped left, this section of my office will remain and will continue to find and rescue the kidnapped," the Kurdish president said.