WASHINGTON DC – Sixty-nine hostages were released from the Islamic State group (ISIS or ISIL) in a joint- Kurdish- American rescue operation in the early hours of Thursday, the Kurdistan Region’s Security Council (KRSC) and the Pentagon announced.
“During the operation, which ended at 0400hrs and took place approximately 7km north of Hawija, 69 hostages were successfully rescued, 6 ISIL terrorists detained and more than 20 killed,” the KRSC said in a statement.
According to the Pentagon, the US troops participated in the operation at the request of the Kurdistan Regional Government.It said US Special Operations Forces provided support for the “Peshmerga operation to rescue hostages at an ISIL prison near Hawijah, Iraq.”
The Pentagon, which called the rescue operation a part of its counter-ISIL effort, added that the hostages were facing “imminent mass execution.”“The U.S. provided helicopter lift and accompanied Iraqi Peshmerga forces to the compound. In addition, the U.S. recovered important intelligence about ISIL,” the Pentagon press secretary said in a statement. The KRSC said Kurds are unlikely to be among the rescued.
“An initial examination showed there are no Kurds among the rescued hostages,” it said.
ISIS has detained tens of Peshmerga since last year and refuses to release them or swap them for its fighters captured by Kurdish forces. One US commando lost his life in the operation and four Peshmerga were wounded. Meanwhile, six ISIS militants were captured and more than 20 killed.
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