Islamic State said to free 70 kidnapped Kurdish children

www.timesofisrael.com...

The Islamic State jihadist group on Tuesday freed more than 70 Kurdish school children its fighters kidnapped in northern Syria in May, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said

The Britain-based group said parents had reported the release of the children, who are believed to be aged between 13 and 15.

The group of 70 were among 153 school children, most of them boys, abducted by IS jihadists on May 29 in the northern province of Aleppo.

They were intercepted and taken hostage en route to their hometown of Ain al-Arab after sitting school exams in Aleppo city.

They were kidnapped around the area of Minbej, which has been targeted in recent days in air strikes by a US-led coalition fighting jihadists.

In the weeks after the children were abducted, five students managed to escape and another 37 were released in batches, including the 10 girls among the group, the Observatory said.

There were no immediate details on why the group decided to free the 70 additional hostages on Tuesday, and the Observatory said around 30 more children were still being held.

It said IS was refusing to hand over the 30 children because it said they had relatives in a key Kurdish party opposed to the jihadist group.

I haven't seen this story make it's rounds in the western MSM outlets. Why would ISIL release these children? They did keep 30 children because of their relation to Kurdish party members, but still, why release any if you're ISIL? They behead children, they bomb them, I'm just confused.. It's funny that nobody knows why.

Did the Kurds and IS come to some agreement, one that would benefit ISIL?

By any chance did they release them on the Turkish boarder ?

a reply to: Max_TO

They were abducted from Aleppo and later released somewhere in Northern Syria, which is close to Turkey's border but that's where the children are from.

Watch, they were brainwashed and now are receiving vests with dynamite for gifts.

a reply to: Yeahkeepwatchingme

They were taken back in May so I dunno if that's enough time for brainwashing, but I'm no expect on the matter. IS absolutely makes children join their ranks and become suicide bombers so why would they release them?

I'm happy to hear these children are back home to say the least.

a reply to: Swills

Maybe they released them in order to disperse them throughout the area. Making attacks/infiltration easier?

a reply to: Swills

Very glad to see these children released.

Knowing ISIS and the sensitive Kurdish issue within Turkey I can't help but wonder if this was done in an attempt to somehow negativity effect the possible involvement of Turky getting involved militarily against ISIS.

However , whatever the reason glad to see these children released , assuming this report is accurate.

Think I am going to check and see if and how this story is being covered by the Turkish media.

Reminds me of the 49 hostages they released to Turkey, that didn't make sense either, considering it was the one thing keeping the Turks from joining the coalition against them.

a reply to: Swills

Well that's a bit of good news to give thanks for. If the released children are teens, I'm wondering if those teens were able to convince them that they belong to the same sect of Islam. I've no doubt they were tested to some degree. I hope their story gets out in more detail.

This begs to question, what are the Turk and Kurds doing differently to have their family released from ISIL?

When westerners get taken they're bound for the execution cam for the world to see.

a reply to: Swills

I have no idea why things are the way they are among muslim sects which I honestly can't distinguish between. However, to your net part of the question, without going into details and hate mongering, and whether I'm right or incorrect, I see the aim of one country's national interest is to keep the western forces involved.

a reply to: Swills

Well... if I were a diabolically evil religious extremist, I would infect all of those children with Ebola (without them knowing, of course) and then send them back.

It wouldn't take much. Maybe a drop of an infected person's drool into their mouths while they slept so they wouldn't even know.

a reply to: Cuervo

I'm so sick of Ebola talk... And ISIL doesn't have the virus to infect anyone with.

They do have 88 pounds of Uranium though...

a reply to: Swills

there negotiating there borders with the new Kurdistan.

stop fighting us , and u stay on that side,, we release X # of children,,,its an old tactic,,,Sons are like Gold,,more so in some case's.

They really should let them all go,,

they will be fighting , from 3 fronts,, Bagdad, Kurdistan, and now Turkey,, in Kubani,,,

remember Kobani, where i said a week , ago,, thats were they be,, attacking next,,,

just need a good Tactition,,, Breedlove aint it either.

Well i mean Turkey might as well hold onto the Oldest Existing City, in modern day History.

its kinda been around a long time.

Just read the story.
ISIS filtered the kids out to keep only the ones that have parents that they can extort or leverage.

a reply to: TinfoilTP

We did, read the thread. My question is why release that at all since ISIL actively uses children as suicide bombers, fighters, god knows what else.

originally posted by: Swills
a reply to: TinfoilTP

We did, read the thread. My question is why release that at all since ISIL actively uses children as suicide bombers, fighters, god knows what else.

They didn't take over the Kurdish territory yet, when they do all the kids from families that pledge loyalty to the caliph will get that treatment. In this case they just kept the ones that are worth something, easier to manage is the simple reason. They are doing just as the founder Muhammad and all the caliphs after him, keep children as hostages so their influential parents will be pacified. Vlad the impaler was an example, he was a child prisoner to keep his powerful family in line. That didn't work out so well for them though, when he gained freedom to go back to rule the Islamic brainwashing backfired.
ISIS is most likely looking for children of tribal leader families.