The Office for the Rescue of Kidnapped Yazidis announced on Monday the successful rescue of a Yazidi girl who had been held captive by ISIS for 11 years outside Iraq, marking another step in ongoing efforts to locate and free survivors of the 2014 genocide.

According to sources, the Duhok-based office, which operates under the Kurdistan Region Presidency, confirmed the release of Jamila Babir Hajem, a young woman originally from the Tel Qasab community in the Shingal district.

Jamila was abducted at the age of seven during the ISIS assault on Shingal in August 2014. She was taken along with seven members of her family. While the rest of her family has been rescued in previous operations, the fate of her father remains unknown.

Her rescue brings the total number of Yazidi abductees freed since the start of the genocide to 3,596. However, thousands remain missing. Official figures indicate that approximately 6,417 Yazidi civilians were kidnapped during the ISIS attacks, with more than 2,550 individuals still unaccounted for.

Authorities emphasized that search and rescue operations are continuing in coordination with relevant institutions and volunteer networks, aiming to locate the missing and reunite survivors with their families.

The atrocities committed by Islamic State against the Yazidi community in 2014 remain one of the darkest chapters in recent history, involving mass killings, forced displacement, and systematic abductions.

In the aftermath, the Kurdistan Region has played a key role in providing refuge and humanitarian assistance to survivors, hosting thousands of displaced Yazidis in camps across the region. Efforts have also focused on documenting missing persons, supporting rescue missions, and facilitating family reunifications.