Report: Breakout at ISIS Prison Frees Dozens of Kurdish Peshmerga

A Kurdish official claimed that 25 Kurdish Peshmerga prisoners escaped from an Islamic State (ISIS/ISIL/IS) prison in Mosul.

“After the people of Mosul realized that several captives fled ISIS, they welcomed them, guiding them to escape Mosul in order for them to return to their homes outside ISIS territories, but unfortunately, some of the escapees were recaptured,” declared Ismat Rajab, the head of the Kurdistan Democratic Party in Mosul.

The prison is located in Khalisiya. ISIS announced the breakout on social media accounts. The militants then “launched a campaign inside Mosul looking for the escapees.” They found a few, but others remained in civilian homes.

“When the people realized these hostages escaped an ISIS jail, they—both Kurds and Arabs in the nearby areas—showed their willingness to harbor them from ISIS,” continued Rajab.

Piroz hopes her husband Ahmed Hussein is one of the escapees.

“A relative of mine called me last week saying ‘the Peshmerga captives have been released by ISIS and they returned home,’” she exclaimed. “My happiness at the moment cannot be imagined. I have been keeping an eye on my phone and I’m eager to hear the ring of my mobile saying my husband will be back.”

ISIS seized numerous Peshmerga officers, the military forces for Iraqi Kurdistan, since the terrorist group attacked in the summer of 2014. No one knows exactly how many Peshmerga captives are in ISIS custody, but Rudaw believes there are at least 30.

Militants imprisoned the majority of the prisoners in Kirkuk in January. A month later, the terrorists paraded 17 officers in cages through the streets. Then, in March, ISIS released a new video that showed militants killing a Peshmerga soldier execution-style.

In July, Rudaw reported that families of these Peshmerga soldiers “reached an understanding with the Sunni tribal leaders for a possible prisoner exchange between the Peshmerga ministry and the militants.” The agreement stated that ISIS will release one Peshmerga officer if the Sunni officials released five ISIS militants.