Iraqi Christian girl kidnapped by ISIS terrorists returns home after 3 years missing

An Iraqi Christian girl kidnapped by ISIS has been returned to her family after being missing for three years.

Christina Abada, who is nearly six years old, was reunited with her parents this morning at Ashti refugee camp, near Erbil, Iraq, according to World Watch Monitor.

She was abducted by ISIS militants three years ago, and was reportedly returned to safety by Iraqi Special Forces.

‘It is a very happy moment; everybody is dancing and clapping and singing,’ said one Christian woman, a witness to the reunion.

‘She looks OK, quite healthy. I believe she must have been in the house of a family who took good care of her. She was even wearing gold earrings, so it must have been a wealthy family,’ she added.

The woman cautioned however: ‘Although everybody was very happy, it was also sad to see that Christina herself is in shock about all the people around her. Everybody is asking questions and speaking to her, but she does not say anything back, really. She also seems to be overwhelmed by the huge crowd of people welcoming her.’

Christina was taken from her family in 2014, when ISIS entered and occupied Qaraqosh, the then predominantly Christian city and home to the Abadas family.

On 22 August, militants abruptly seized Christina from her mother Ayda, and walked away, forcing Ayda back at gunpoint. Since then, Christina had not been seen again. In several interviews, the Abadas family spoke about their longing to see their child again.

Rumours had circulated about Christina’s survival, but especially in the last year, many feared the worst and had lost hope.

The clip below shows Christina reunited with her family, and her mother praising God for her return.

Source: Christian Today