Iraq crisis: US mission to rescue Yazidis less likely after fewer refugees than expected found on Mt Sinjar
10 years, 7 months ago

Iraq crisis: US mission to rescue Yazidis less likely after fewer refugees than expected found on Mt Sinjar

ABC  

A possible US mission to evacuate civilians trapped on Iraq's Mount Sinjar after they fled Islamic State fighters is now unlikely to take place, after a US reconnaissance team found "far fewer" Yazidi refugees than previously thought. But an overnight mission, which saw fewer than 20 US special forces personnel airlifted onto the mountain under cover of darkness, found "far fewer" Yazidis than expected, the Pentagon said in a statement. American aircraft have been carrying out air strikes on Islamic State positions around Mt Sinjar, while US and British aircraft have been dropping food and water to the refugees. Air attacks have slowed Islamic State: Pentagon Army Colonel Steve Warren, a Pentagon spokesman, on Wednesday said US air attacks, combined with operations by Kurdistan's Peshmerga armed forces, had "slowed, if not stopped" attacks on the terrified families who had fled to the mountain.

Mission Iraq Kurdish State Pentagon Sis Islamic Forces Kurdish Forces Yazidis Mount Sinjar  likely  expected  mt  kurdish  food  yazidis  iraq  water  far  forces  islamic  mission  state  personnel  refugees  sinjar  rescue  fewer

History of this topic

Iraq’s Yazidis hope a new village will prompt survivors of a 2014 Islamic State massacre to return
7 months, 2 weeks ago

Iraq’s Yazidis hope a new village will prompt survivors of a 2014 Islamic State massacre to return

Associated Press  

KOCHO, Iraq — Ten years ago, their village in Iraq’s Sinjar region was decimated by Islamic State militants. Now the survivors are coming back to Kocho, where Yazidi community leaders on Thursday announced plans for an internationally funded new village nearby to house those displaced in what was one of the bloodiest massacres by the Islamic State group against their …

Iraq's Yazidis hope a new village will prompt survivors of a 2014 Islamic State massacre to return
7 months, 2 weeks ago

Iraq's Yazidis hope a new village will prompt survivors of a 2014 Islamic State massacre to return

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Now the survivors are coming back to Kocho, where …

The closure of camps in Iraq housing Yazidis displaced by IS attacks is postponed, an official says
8 months ago

The closure of camps in Iraq housing Yazidis displaced by IS attacks is postponed, an official says

Associated Press  

IRBIL, Iraq — The Iraqi government has postponed an order to clear out camps in the country’s semi-autonomous northern Kurdish region that house thousands of people who fled when the Islamic State group seized their home areas a decade ago, officials said Tuesday. Kurdish authorities refused to implement the closure order, saying that the areas the displaced people fled from …

Ten years after Yazidi genocide, survivors struggle to rebuild lives
10 months ago

Ten years after Yazidi genocide, survivors struggle to rebuild lives

Al Jazeera  

NGOs report that 200,000 are displaced in Iraq’s Kurdistan region, while thousands trapped in legal limbo in Europe. Ten years on from ISIL’s massacre against the Yazidi people, hundreds of thousands of displaced survivors are unable to safely return to their former homes in Iraq, two NGOs say in a new report. Many of the Yazidis interviewed in Greece had …

Some Of The Nearly 200,000 Displaced Yazidis Return Home
4 years, 4 months ago

Some Of The Nearly 200,000 Displaced Yazidis Return Home

NPR  

Some Of The Nearly 200,000 Displaced Yazidis Return Home Long after the fall of ISIS, Yazidis are now returning to the ruined towns of their homeland. It's been six years since ISIS launched its genocide against the religious minority in Sinjar. It's been six years since ISIS launched a genocide against the Yazidi people. ARRAF: "It's a beautiful feeling to …

Suspected US airstrike in Syria kills at least 54 people
6 years, 8 months ago

Suspected US airstrike in Syria kills at least 54 people

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights as well as …

Yazidis Remain In Fear On Iraq's Mount Sinjar After Attempted Genocide
7 years ago

Yazidis Remain In Fear On Iraq's Mount Sinjar After Attempted Genocide

NPR  

Yazidis Remain In Fear On Iraq's Mount Sinjar After Attempted Genocide Enlarge this image toggle caption Jane Arraf/NPR Jane Arraf/NPR Navine, 15, could pass for a typical teenager. "We all made them when we were first kidnapped," says her mother Halo, sitting near a kerosene heater in their tent on Iraq's Mount Sinjar. Sponsor Message In 2014, tens of thousands …

Refugees in northern Syria and Iraq suffer as region sees first snowfall in 25 years
8 years, 3 months ago

Refugees in northern Syria and Iraq suffer as region sees first snowfall in 25 years

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Heavy snowfall and freezing conditions …

U.S.-backed airstrike against Islamic State kills dozens of civilians in Syria, activists say
8 years, 8 months ago

U.S.-backed airstrike against Islamic State kills dozens of civilians in Syria, activists say

LA Times  

A member of the U.S.-backed Kurdish and Arab fighters walks past destroyed buildings while advancing into the Islamic State jihadist’s group bastion of Manbij, in northern Syria, on June 23, 2016. Frightened residents had fled to the area as clashes raged between the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, a predominantly Kurdish militia operating in northern Syria, and Islamic State militants bunkered …

Sinjar: Mass grave of Yazidi women executed by Isis discovered in Iraq
9 years, 4 months ago

Sinjar: Mass grave of Yazidi women executed by Isis discovered in Iraq

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy A mass grave believed to …

Sinjar offensive: Attack gives Iraq's Yazidis the chance to finally take revenge on Isis
9 years, 4 months ago

Sinjar offensive: Attack gives Iraq's Yazidis the chance to finally take revenge on Isis

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Their advance was part of a long-awaited offensive unleashed …

Sinjar offensive: Kurdish troops attempt to take back key Iraqi city and split Isis in two
9 years, 4 months ago

Sinjar offensive: Kurdish troops attempt to take back key Iraqi city and split Isis in two

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. With the support of US-led coalition air strikes, up …

Islamic State: Kurdish forces launch Operation Free Sinjar to retake key Iraqi town
9 years, 4 months ago

Islamic State: Kurdish forces launch Operation Free Sinjar to retake key Iraqi town

ABC  

Kurdish forces have launched an offensive to retake the northern Iraqi town of Sinjar from Islamic State militants who overran it last year, killing and enslaving thousands of its Yazidi residents and triggering US-led air strikes. Key points: Kurdish forces launch operation to reclaim Sinjar from Islamic State Sinjar is a highly strategic town that sits on a main artery …

Kurdish forces prepare for battle to retake Iraq’s Sinjar
9 years, 5 months ago

Kurdish forces prepare for battle to retake Iraq’s Sinjar

The Hindu  

Kurdish forces are massing in northwest Iraq for an offensive to retake the town of Sinjar from Islamic State militants who overran it more than a year ago, killing and enslaving thousands of its Yazidi residents and triggering U.S.-led air strikes. Sinjar is a symbolic and strategic prize sitting astride the main highway linking the cities of Mosul and Raqqa …

Iraq: Kurdish, Yazidis fighters battle Islamic State for strategic town of Sinjar
10 years, 3 months ago

Iraq: Kurdish, Yazidis fighters battle Islamic State for strategic town of Sinjar

Firstpost  

It would also give a huge strategic victory to both the Iraqi Kurds and the central government in Baghdad, as the Kurdish fighters could then cut the highway from Syria to Mosul, a vital supply line for Islamic State. Mount Sinjar, Iraq: Kurdish and Yazidi fighters battled to take the strategic northern Iraqi town of Sinjar back from Islamic State …

Iraq: On Mount Sinjar, Yazidis cheer on Kurds for breaking Islamic State siege
10 years, 3 months ago

Iraq: On Mount Sinjar, Yazidis cheer on Kurds for breaking Islamic State siege

Firstpost  

It was the plight of those trapped on the mountain, together with Islamic State’s advance towards the Kurdish capital Arbil, that prompted US President Barack Obama to order air strikes against Islamic State in Iraq in August. Sinjar Mountain, Iraq: Iraqi Kurdish fighters flashed victory signs as they swept across the northern side of Sinjar mountain on Saturday, two days …

Kurdish Troops Free Yazidis, But Major Battles Remain
10 years, 3 months ago

Kurdish Troops Free Yazidis, But Major Battles Remain

NPR  

Kurdish Troops Free Yazidis, But Major Battles Remain With the help of U.S. airstrikes, Iraqi Kurdish forces have made significant advances against the self-proclaimed Islamic State, or ISIS. DEBORAH AMOS, BYLINE: These are scenes broadcast on Iraqi Kurdish TV after the Peshmerga routed ISIS militants from the foothills of Mount Sinjar. This was the largest military operation in Iraq since …

Isis latest: Kurdish forces 'break' the siege of Mount Sinjar
10 years, 3 months ago

Isis latest: Kurdish forces 'break' the siege of Mount Sinjar

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Kurdish forces have claimed their …

Blow to Islamic State as Iraqi Kurds claim to break Mount Sinjar siege
10 years, 3 months ago

Blow to Islamic State as Iraqi Kurds claim to break Mount Sinjar siege

Firstpost  

The peshmerga said they recaptured eight villages on the way and killed about 80 Islamic State fighters in the initial phase of the offensive launched from Rabia on the Syria border and Zumar on the shores of Mosul dam lake. Baghdad: Iraqi Kurds claimed Thursday to have broken a siege on a mountain where Yazidi civilians and fighters have long …

Iraq crisis: Australian Air Force planes to carry weapons into Iraq to help Kurdish fighters against Islamic State
10 years, 7 months ago

Iraq crisis: Australian Air Force planes to carry weapons into Iraq to help Kurdish fighters against Islamic State

ABC  

Prime Minister Tony Abbott has announced Australian Air Force planes will carry weapons into Iraq to help Kurdish fighters battle Islamic State militants. "Following the successful international humanitarian relief effort air-dropping supplies to the thousands of people stranded on Mount Sinjar in northern Iraq, the Royal Australian Air Force will now conduct further humanitarian missions," Mr Abbott said in a …

Yazidi survivor's horror story reveals ISIS mass graves
10 years, 7 months ago

Yazidi survivor's horror story reveals ISIS mass graves

Daily Mail  

'They started to put people in those holes, those people were alive': Yazidi survivor's horror story reveals how ISIS threw screaming women and children into mass graves Survivor's account describes women and children being buried alive Tens of thousands of Yazidis have fled their homeland under persecution The refugees now sit idle in camps in the Kurdish region of northern …

US launches airstrikes near Irbil, Mosul Dam
10 years, 7 months ago

US launches airstrikes near Irbil, Mosul Dam

The Hindu  

Kurdish forces backed by U.S. airstrikes on Saturday were attempting to regain control of the strategic Mosul Dam from insurgents in northern Iraq. Islamic State militants meanwhile killed around 100 Yazidi men near the northern Iraqi town of Sinjar, after they refused to convert to Islam. The United States launched airstrikes with jets and drones against Islamic State targets in …

Iraq: Yazidis fear for thousands kidnapped by ISIS jihadists
10 years, 7 months ago

Iraq: Yazidis fear for thousands kidnapped by ISIS jihadists

Firstpost  

In Iraq, Yazidis fleeing a jihadist offensive say members of their families - men, women and even babies - have been abducted by militants. Bajid Kandala Camp, : In a dusty, ill-equipped camp in northern Iraq, Yazidis fleeing a jihadist offensive say members of their families - men, women and even babies - have been abducted by militants. “My two …

Barak Obama considers option to evacuate trapped Iraqi civilians
10 years, 7 months ago

Barak Obama considers option to evacuate trapped Iraqi civilians

India TV News  

Washington: The establishment of humanitarian corridors and airlifts are among options being considered by the US President Barack Obama to evacuate the Iraqi civilians trapped on a mountain to avoid Islamist militants' onslaught, the White House said on Wednesday. Deputy national security adviser for strategic communications, Benjamin Rhodes said "a lasting solution" was needed even as American warplanes were continuing …

Iraq crisis: Yazidis plead for international assistance as Australia prepares for humanitarian role
10 years, 7 months ago

Iraq crisis: Yazidis plead for international assistance as Australia prepares for humanitarian role

ABC  

Thousands of Yazidi refugees who have fled a jihadist onslaught in Iraq have pleaded for international assistance, as Australia prepares to deliver humanitarian supplies to Iraq within days. "France intends to play an active role by providing, along with its partners and in liaison with the new Iraqi authorities, all the assistance required," president Francois Hollande said in a statement. …

Harrowing scenes as masses of refugees attempt to enter Iraqi Kurdistan
10 years, 7 months ago

Harrowing scenes as masses of refugees attempt to enter Iraqi Kurdistan

ABC  

MARK COLVIN: There's still a massive humanitarian crisis in Iraq, despite relief efforts on the mountain where thousands of Yazidi people have been trying to survive after Islamic State forces drove them out of their own homeland. A senior Iraqi Kurdish official has told journalists that a staggering 1.2 million refugees - both Christian and Yazidi - have crossed into …

US to send 130 more military personnel to Iraq
10 years, 7 months ago

US to send 130 more military personnel to Iraq

The Hindu  

U.S President Barack Obama has authorised sending an additional 130 military personnel to northern Iraq to access the scope of the humanitarian mission for the thousands of Yazidi minority trapped on Mount Sinjar by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. These military personnel, comprising of Marines and special operations forces, are being sent to northern Iraq to assess …

Iraq crisis: Islamic State militants ‘kill hundreds’ of Yazidi minority as 'women and children buried alive'
10 years, 7 months ago

Iraq crisis: Islamic State militants ‘kill hundreds’ of Yazidi minority as 'women and children buried alive'

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The brutality being meted out …

US makes fourth drop of food, water to stranded Yazidi refugees in Iraq
10 years, 7 months ago

US makes fourth drop of food, water to stranded Yazidi refugees in Iraq

Firstpost  

A C-17 and three C-130 cargo aircraft dropped 88 bundles of supplies that will provide “food and water for thousands of Iraqi citizens” trapped on Mount Sinjar, said a statement by US Central Command, US military planes conducted a fourth air drop of food and water for civilians besieged by jihadists on a mountain in northern Iraq, the Pentagon said …

Iraq crisis: US weighs risky mission to rescue Yazidis; Obama welcomes appointment of new PM; Weapons shipped to Kurds fighting Islamic State
10 years, 7 months ago

Iraq crisis: US weighs risky mission to rescue Yazidis; Obama welcomes appointment of new PM; Weapons shipped to Kurds fighting Islamic State

ABC  

The United States is exploring options to evacuate thousands of Iraqi civilians trapped on a barren mountain in northern Iraq by Islamist militants, after four nights of humanitarian relief airdrops. As Islamic State hardliners continued to threaten Kurdish territory in northern Iraq, the US said it had begun shipping weapons to Kurdish peshmerga fighters who were battling to keep the …

Iraq crisis: American intervention against Isis boosts Kurdish morale as President Obama launches more air strikes
10 years, 7 months ago

Iraq crisis: American intervention against Isis boosts Kurdish morale as President Obama launches more air strikes

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy US air strikes are boosting …

Iraq crisis can't be resolved in a few weeks: Barack Obama
10 years, 7 months ago

Iraq crisis can't be resolved in a few weeks: Barack Obama

Firstpost  

President Barack Obama said on Saturday U.S. air strikes had destroyed arms that Islamic State militants could have used against Iraqi Kurds, but he warned there was no quick fix to a crisis that threatens to tear Iraq apart. Baghdad: President Barack Obama said on Saturday U.S. air strikes had destroyed arms that Islamic State militants could have used against …

Kurds rescue Yazidis from Iraqi mountain
10 years, 7 months ago

Kurds rescue Yazidis from Iraqi mountain

Al Jazeera  

Kurdish forces tell Al Jazeera they have opened a road to Sinjar, reaching more than 5,000 Yazidis besieged by IS group. Iraqi Kurdish security forces have opened a road to Sinjar Mountain in northwestern Iraq, rescuing more than 5,000 Yazidis trapped there after running away from fighters from the Islamic State group, a Kurdish army spokesman has told Al Jazeera. …

West mobilises Iraq aid as US raids continue
10 years, 7 months ago

West mobilises Iraq aid as US raids continue

Al Jazeera  

US jets strike Islamic State positions in Iraq’s north, as UK and France spearhead aid delivery to stranded civilians. Western diplomacy and aid efforts are shaping up in Iraq to avert what US President Barack Obama warned could be an impending “genocide” against civilians besieged on a mountain in the country’s north by fighters from the Islamic State group. The …

Thousands of Iraqi Yazidis escape to Syria after Kurdish rescue
10 years, 7 months ago

Thousands of Iraqi Yazidis escape to Syria after Kurdish rescue

Salon  

Kurdish forces have rescued around 5,000 Iraqi Yazidis who were trapped by the Islamist extremist group ISIS on Sinjar Mountain by helping them escape to Syria, Al Jazeera and the Associated Press report. Just recently, the Iraqi government took the unprecedented move of helping to arm Kurdish forces in their struggle against ISIS. According to the American and Qatari news …

Iraq crisis: Starving, desperate, but safe from Isis on Mount Sinjar
10 years, 7 months ago

Iraq crisis: Starving, desperate, but safe from Isis on Mount Sinjar

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Mount Sinjar rises from a …

American forces first strike on Islamic State revealed as aid airdrops reach Yazidis
10 years, 7 months ago

American forces first strike on Islamic State revealed as aid airdrops reach Yazidis

Daily Mail  

British Special Forces are in the region, some of whom speak Arabic - but MOD insists operation is humanitarian Military action by U.S. prompted violent response by militants amid fears UK could be drawn into another conflict Britain joins campaign as government pledges another £8m in aid and two supply planes leave RAF Brize Norton Footage has revealed the moment …

US airdrops more food and water for Iraq’s Yazidi refugees
10 years, 7 months ago

US airdrops more food and water for Iraq’s Yazidi refugees

The Hindu  

U.S. defence officials say American planes have conducted a second airdrop of food and water for thousands of refugees trapped in Iraq’s Sinjar mountains. ‘Militants hold hundreds of Yazidi women in Mosul’ Hundreds of Yazidi women have been taken captive by Sunni militants with “vicious plans”, an Iraqi official has said, further underscoring the dire plight of Iraq’s minorities at …

U.S. is coming to help: Obama
10 years, 7 months ago

U.S. is coming to help: Obama

The Hindu  

President Barack Obama on Friday authorised a two-pronged military intervention in Iraq, aimed both at protecting American personnel and assets located in the conflict zones, and also at staving off “a potential act of genocide,” in the Sinjar area where nearly 50,000 members of the Yazidi minority community were trapped atop a mountain besieged by IS fighters, according to United …

Politician begs world to help Iraq’s Yazidis
10 years, 7 months ago

Politician begs world to help Iraq’s Yazidis

Al Jazeera  

Clashes between Islamic State fighters and Kurdish forces near Erbil force Yazidis to flee into the mountains. Kurdish forces and Islamic State fighters were clashing in a town only 40 kilometres southwest of the Kurdish regional capital of Erbil in northern Iraq, a senior Kurdish official said on Wednesday. Iraqi helicopters dropped supplies to thousands of desperate people hiding in …

40 Yazidi children reported dead after Iraq attack: UN
10 years, 7 months ago

40 Yazidi children reported dead after Iraq attack: UN

The Hindu  

Forty children from northern Iraq’s Yazidi minority are reported to have died as a result of a jihadist attack on the Sinjar region, the United Nations Children’s Fund said on Tuesday. “According to official reports received by UNICEF, these children from the Yazidi minority died as a direct consequence of violence, displacement and dehydration over the past two days,” a …

Iraqi Yazidis caught in Islamic State advance
10 years, 7 months ago

Iraqi Yazidis caught in Islamic State advance

Al Jazeera  

An Islamic State group offensive that began on Saturday around Iraq’s Sinjar province, west of Mosul, has seen Kurdish military forces suffer a serious military setback and triggered a humanitarian crisis in the province. In the early hours of Sunday morning, fighters from the Islamic State attacked the predominantly Yazidi town of Sinjar, quickly forcing Kurdish Peshmerga units to withdraw. …

Iraqi Yazidis: ‘If we move they will kill us’
10 years, 7 months ago

Iraqi Yazidis: ‘If we move they will kill us’

Al Jazeera  

Shekhan, Iraq – Khalaf Qassim looks visibly distressed, sitting in the courtyard of the home of the spiritual leader of one of Iraq’s most ancient religions, in this usually quiet town about 50km north of Mosul. Qassim is one of tens of thousands of people who have fled the predominantly Yazidi area of Sinjar, in Iraq’s western Nineveh province, after …

Evacuation of Indians from Iraq big challenge: Omar
10 years, 9 months ago

Evacuation of Indians from Iraq big challenge: Omar

The Hindu  

Terming the evacuation of stranded Indians from strife-torn Iraq as a “big challenge” for the Union government, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday said he hoped the Centre would do everything to bring them back from the Gulf nation safely. “The first impact it has is that many of our people are working there and evacuating them …

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