Kurdish special forces rescue 16yo girl from clutches of Islamic State

A teenage girl from Sweden has been rescued from the clutches of Islamic State in Iraq by Kurdish special forces. The 16-year-old travelled to Syria last year before crossing into Iraq. She was rescued near the city of Mosul on 17 February, according to a statement from the autonomous region’s security council, which said the girl was from the Swedish city of Boras. It claimed that an Islamic State member in Sweden had encouraged her to make the journey.

The Kurdistan Region Security Council was called upon by Swedish authorities and members of her family to assist in locating and rescuing her from ISIL.

Kurdish security council statement

It added that the teenager was currently in Kurdistan, and would be handed over to the Swedish authorities.