Peshmerga reunites with his family after two years

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan24) – A Peshmerga fighter recently reunited with his family who were living in the areas under Islamic State (IS) control for over two years.

After two years and four months, Said Waadullah, a Peshmerga fighter, returned to his home in the village of Faziliya, northwest of Mosul, which was recently liberated by Kurdish forces.

Waadullah, who had been away from many of his relatives for over 28 months, said that after IS took control of his village, he came down from Bashiq mountain to rescue some of his family members.

Kurdistan24’s Masoud Muhammed accompanied the Peshmerga fighter when he reunited with members of his family and relatives.

“Today is like a feast for us,” Waadullah expressed his feelings to Kurdistan24. “It has been two-and-a-half years since I was at the frontlines; wherever there is war I have been there.”

“It is such a delight to reunite with my brother, relatives, neighbors, and people of my village again, it is a feeling that I have never felt in my entire life,” Waadullah continued.

[Said Waadullah, a Peshmerga fighter, reunites with his family in the newly liberated village of Faziliya, Oct. 29, 2016. (Photo: Kurdistan24)]

Abdullah Waadullah, Said’s brother, said it had been two years that they were away from him. “Thanks to Peshmerga forces we have reunited again, this is like a feast for us all,” he added.

Abdullah, who lived in the areas controlled by IS extremists, told Kurdistan24, “The insurgents were oppressing people, they were not Muslims, they were raiding houses, and encroaching on civilians.”

After being surrounding for five days, Faziliya village was liberated by Peshmerga forces on Oct. 27.

Editing by Karzan Sulaivany