Former ISIS bride turns informant, helping rescue children and return to Canada
A Canadian woman who joined ISIS in Syria later became a Kurdish informant, aiding the rescue of children and securing her own return home.
S., a Somali-Canadian who lost her brother to gun violence, turned to religion and later radical groups, eventually flying to Turkey and entering ISIS-controlled Syria in 2014. After enduring harsh conditions, forced marriage, and the birth of a daughter amid bombings, she fled the collapsing ISIS enclave of Baghuz and surrendered to Kurdish troops. Wearing a balaklava, she supplied intelligence that exposed the grooming of girls in the Al Hol camp and led to the rescue of an American child, Aminah.
Former U.S. ambassador Peter Galbraith facilitated her cooperation, though no formal deal was made. S. and her daughter were later moved to Irbil and then returned to Canada, where she now works in skincare and testifies in court to aid further prosecutions.
Why it matters
The story shows how former extremists can aid counter-terrorism and highlights challenges of repatriating children of ISIS fighters.
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