US Special Forces Rescue Around 70 Iraqi Hostages Held Captive By ISIS

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WATCH: (Scroll Down For Video) A U.S. special operations raid has rescues up to 70 Iraqis who were being held captive by ISIS.

Early reports indicate the one U.S. soldier was killed in the overnight raid, a joint effort with Iraqi forces, east of the northern Iraqi town of Hawija.

Several senior ISIS militants were also rescued during the ‘successful’ operation, it has been reported.

Although initial reports claimed the hostages rescued were Kurds, a senior defence official has confirmed that they were Arabs, according to Fox News.

‘People were chained to walls,’ one high-ranking military source told Fox News. ‘A mass atrocity was averted.’

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Some of the ISIS militants themselves were captured in the raid, according to the New York Times quoting Iraqi officials. This has not yet been confirmed by the U.S.

The target of the raid was a prison run by ISIS militants, according to local reports.

Airstrikes were used to destroy roads leading to the site, to prevent militants making an escape.

The raid has been described as a significant joint strike against ISIS, as Iraqi and U.S. officials attempt to mount a wider counteroffensive against the jihadi efforts.

Hawija is a key focus of this effort in recent weeks, as an important ISIS stronghold.

The U.S. official provided no further comment on reports of U.S. deaths.

Read More: One US soldier killed in Iraq during rescue of more than 70 ISIS hostages

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