American ISIS captives repatriated

Kurdish authorities in northern Syria returned eight American women and children to the United States who were captured along with Islamic State (ISIS) fighters, officials confirmed Wednesday. Abdulkarim Omar, a senior official in the Kurdish region, said the group includes two women and six children. He said they were returned at the request of the U.S. government and based on their own desire “without any pressure or coercion.” Omar didn’t identify the women and children, and U.S. officials did not immediately confirm or comment on the transfer. A woman and four children were also returned to the United States from Syria earlier this year.

Thousands of ISIS members and their families remain in camps and detention centers overseen by Kurds in northern Syria. Many Western authorities remain hesitant to repatriate their nationals over security fears. Omar said Kurdish authorities are only repatriating “humanitarian cases” and that women accused of working with ISIS would remain in detention.