Elated families met their loved ones at a rural truck stop on the road between Sinjar and Dohuk, tossing candy in the air like confetti, the women ululating with joy, AP reported.
The 18 returning children, aged 10 to 15, appeared weary and at times uneasy with the attention of the media and officials. One teenage boy collapsed in his aunt's arms and broke down in tears. Few parents were there to receive their children – many are still missing in territory held by Daesh, or have been confirmed killed. Other parents have already sought asylum in other nations, in the hopes their children will be able to follow them.
Still, the children could not hide their joy at being hugged and kissed once more by their relatives after the long and traumatic separation.
About 3,000 Izadis are still missing after Daesh militants stormed their communities in the Sinjar region in northwest Iraq in 2014, and enslaved, raped and killed thousands of them.
The group of three Izadi women and 18 children who reunited with their families Saturday are among thousands of civilians who emerged in the last few days from the last speck of territory held by Daesh in the village of Baghouz, in eastern Syria. They crossed into Iraq from Syria Friday and were picked up by their families Saturday.