Iraq News Now

BAGHOUZ, Syria – Thousands of men, women, and children have flooded out of Baghouz, the last Islamic State (ISIS) holdout in eastern Syria, since Kurdish-led forces surrounded the village. Faced with the overwhelming task of screening and caring for escapees, aid organizations have stepped in to help. 

David Eubank, a former US Army Special Forces and Ranger officer, is the founder of the Free Burma Rangers (FBR), a Christian humanitarian organization that aided civilians during the battle to liberate Mosul from ISIS. 

Speaking to Rudaw outside Baghouz this week, Eubank described some of the horrific injuries his volunteers are treating.

“We’ve seen over 22,000 people fleeing Daesh from Baghouz, and we’ve treated over 4,000,” said Eubank, using the Arabic acronym for ISIS.

“Many of those 4,000 wounded are children, very small, shot in the head, brains coming out. And one kid, intestines coming out, died. We couldn’t save her. And many kids shot,” he added.

Thousands of civilians and families of ISIS militants were trapped inside Baghouz, where the militants were using them as human shields. Many are feared to remain inside the besieged village. 

Over recent weeks, truckloads of people have been allowed out – among them suspected jihadists. 

The US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have paused their offensive against the last ISIS redoubt several times to allow the escapees to reach safety. Nevertheless, many have been caught in the crossfire and in coalition airstrikes. 

“Today there was a girl, no arm, no leg. Another one, no arm. Another one, no hand. One 11-year-old girl, no legs. So we see them come out badly wounded, starving, afraid, and in shock,” said Eubank.

“We do our best to give them love, comfort them, give them medical care, and then also food, blankets, tents to shelter in if they have to spend the night, and diapers, baby formula, whatever we can do,” he added.