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2 Yezidis kidnapped in northern Iraq
ERBIL – Militants of the Islamic State (ISIS) abducted on Thursday two Yezidi men from Shingal (Sinjar) district in northern Iraq, local sources reported. “ISIS terrorists kidnapped two men in the Sakiniya village in Shingal on Thursday evening. The abductees are believe to have been taken to the ISIS-held Baaj area near Mosul,” a Yezidi activist told ARA News, speaking on condition of anonymity. “The terrorists infiltrated into the village from southern Shingal, apparently in an attempt to take some new Yezidi hostages to spread fear among the desperate Yezidi community,” the source said. “We are highly concerned about the fate of the abductees. We are afraid that ISIS terrorists would execute them,” the Yezidi activist added. The Kurdish Peshmerga troops regained control of the Yezidi Shingal region in northern Iraq in November, after fierce battles against ISIS. In August 2014, ISIS extremists had taken control of Shingal, causing a mass displacement of nearly 400,000 people to Duhok and Erbil, in Iraqi Kurdistan. Tens of thousands of Yezidis remained trapped in Mount Sinjar, suffering mass killings, kidnappings and rape. Subsequent to the liberation of the area at the hands of the Kurdish forces, thousands of Yezidi civilians returned home. The return of the displaced Yezidi families followed intensive operations by the Peshmerga to dismantle land-mines and explosive devices left by ISIS militant fighters before their withdrawal from Shingal in November. However, Yezidi civilians remain concerned about their safety, especially after witnessing several infiltration attempts by ISIS militants into Shingal over the past two months. Posted by: badanov 2016-01-22 |
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