Yazidi woman reunites with family nearly 10 years after ISIS abduction
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - A Yazidi woman who was kidnapped during the Islamic State’s (ISIS) reign of terror in Shingal (Sinjar) in 2014, returned home to Iraq and was reunited with her family on Saturday, a month after she was rescued during an operation in northeast Syria’s al-Hol camp.
Iraq’s national intelligence service on Saturday said that Kovan Aidi Khourto was repatriated by their forces, following a directive from Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani.
“The operation was carried out based on accurate intelligence about her whereabouts in Syrian territory, in order to reach her and return her to Iraq and hand her over to her family,” said the Iraqi intelligence in a statement.
The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) on February 4 announced that Khourto was liberated in al-Hol camp by the Women’s Protection Units (YPJ) - the SDF’s all-female partner force.
The YPJ said that the group handed the Yazidi woman to her family on Saturday.
When ISIS swept through the Yazidi heartland of Shingal in August 2014, committing genocide, the group abducted 6,417 women and children who were forced into sexual slavery and labour. Around 2,700 of them are still missing. Many have been rescued from al-Hol, the notorious camp that houses tens of thousands of ISIS families and supporters.
The sprawling camp has been criticized for its poor conditions and insecurity. Many of the residents still hold ISIS ideology and the camp has been dubbed a breeding ground for terrorism.
Kurdish forces have conducted several security operations in the camp.
Iraq’s national intelligence service on Saturday said that Kovan Aidi Khourto was repatriated by their forces, following a directive from Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani.
“The operation was carried out based on accurate intelligence about her whereabouts in Syrian territory, in order to reach her and return her to Iraq and hand her over to her family,” said the Iraqi intelligence in a statement.
The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) on February 4 announced that Khourto was liberated in al-Hol camp by the Women’s Protection Units (YPJ) - the SDF’s all-female partner force.
The YPJ said that the group handed the Yazidi woman to her family on Saturday.
When ISIS swept through the Yazidi heartland of Shingal in August 2014, committing genocide, the group abducted 6,417 women and children who were forced into sexual slavery and labour. Around 2,700 of them are still missing. Many have been rescued from al-Hol, the notorious camp that houses tens of thousands of ISIS families and supporters.
The sprawling camp has been criticized for its poor conditions and insecurity. Many of the residents still hold ISIS ideology and the camp has been dubbed a breeding ground for terrorism.
Kurdish forces have conducted several security operations in the camp.