Los Angeles Times

More than 3,000 Yazidis still missing after collapse of Islamic State's self-styled caliphate

BAADRA, Iraq - Kept as a slave by Islamic State militants, the mother prayed for her rescue and made a promise to God: If she ever saw her 10 children again, she would fast for three months to demonstrate her gratitude.

Her prayers were partially answered. In September, as the militants were being driven from their last strongholds in Iraq and Syria, she was freed and reunited with four daughters and a son. Her daylight fast has now come to an end.

But five other sons, along with her husband, are still missing.

"I honestly don't know what hope is anymore," said the woman, who asked to be identified only by her first name, Seve, so as not to endanger family members who might still be held captive. "There are very few places that haven't been liberated, and my children still aren't back."

Her family belongs to Iraq's Yazidi minority, followers of an ancient faith linked to Zoroastrianism that was targeted as heretical by the militants who overran its heartland near Mount Sinjar in August 2014.

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from Los Angeles Times

Los Angeles Times2 min read
Martin Scorsese Will Produce And Host A Docudrama Series For Fox Nation Streaming Service
NEW YORK — Martin Scorsese has landed in Fox Nation. The subscription streaming service owned and operated by Fox News Media announced Wednesday that it has signed the Oscar-winning director to produce and host an eight-episode faith-based docudrama
Los Angeles Times13 min read
Why Was 2023 Such A Deadly Year In Los Angeles County Jails? It Depends On Whom You Ask
LOS ANGELES -- It was well after dark, but Tawana Hunter lingered in the hospital parking lot, watching the minutes tick by on her phone. As midnight drew closer, she ran through all the things she wished had been different. She wished her father had
Los Angeles Times3 min readCrime & Violence
Editorial: On Medication Abortion, The Supreme Court May Actually Do The Right Thing
It always seemed farfetched that anti-abortion doctors could argue that they have the right to ask a court to severely restrict a drug approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration simply because they don’t want to treat women who might experienc

Related Books & Audiobooks