Two Yazidi women rescued from 11 years of ISIS captivity

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Two Yazidi women from Shingal (Sinjar), kidnapped by Islamic State (ISIS) militants in 2014, have been rescued from an undisclosed location, an official from the Kurdistan Region Presidency said on Thursday.

"Today, we are announcing good news that two Yazidi women aged 21 and 26 were rescued," said Hussein Qaidi, head of the Office of Rescuing Abducted Yazidis. The two women were abducted as children and spent 11 years in captivity.

Qaidi said the rescue began when they learned that the two women were in a neighboring country.

"After we were given the information, teams working with us were immediately tasked with the job. Thanks to the team and to those who helped us bring happiness back to their families," he said.

Qaidi declined to reveal where they had been held, citing security reasons and ongoing rescue efforts.

In its assault on Shingal in 2014, ISIS militants abducted 6,417 Yazidi women and children, many of whom were subjected to sexual slavery and forced labor. A total of 3,593 of them have been rescued, Qaidi said, adding that their office will continue its "efforts to rescue the remaining missing individuals."

Many Yazidi women and children have been rescued from al-Hol, the notorious camp in northeast Syria (Rojava) that houses tens of thousands of ISIS families and supporters. Others have been found in areas of Syria that were controlled by rebels or Turkish-backed armed groups, and some have been located in third countries.

Although the group was territorially defeated in Iraq in 2017 and in Syria in 2019, it continues to pose a security risk.