Exclusive: Iraqis pack up a lifetime as they flee ISIS-held Mosul in the dark of night

Story by Ben Wedeman and Waffa Munayyer, CNN
Video and photographs by Gabriel Chaim, for CNN

Updated 0445 GMT (1245 HKT) July 25, 2016

(CNN) The soldiers are on edge, peering nervously into the dark. They can make out the sound of people -- they can never know whom -- approaching their position on this mountainside overlooking Mosul.

Then, in groups of two or three, they emerge from the night: men, women, children, the elderly.

Some can barely walk. They've been on their feet for hours, and need to be carried the rest of the way.

It's the same routine, night after night.

Hundreds have managed to escape Mosul and nearby villages in recent weeks

To get to the Kurdish front lines in northern Iraq, people fleeing Mosul must avoid detection by ISIS militants, step carefully through minefields, and be ready to find shelter if mortar rounds come crashing down. For men, capture by ISIS could mean punishment if they're lucky -- but more likely it will mean death.

By the time they reach safety, some have been walking for four or five hours. Adults must carry the young children. They arrive thirsty, hungry and exhausted. Walking by night, however, is preferable to doing it by day, when they can be picked off by ISIS snipers or fall prey to the withering heat, with daytime temperatures well over 110 degrees Fahrenheit (around 45 degrees Celsius).

Some of the children who escaped were so dehydrated that they fainted.

It's risky, but it's worth it, says a man who declined to identify himself but who says he worked as a nurse.

"I came because of the tyranny of Daesh," he says, using an Arabic acronym for ISIS. "I came because of the lack of food and water, because of the lack of security. ISIS are gangs of killers and thieves. The most basic necessities of life no longer exist. There is no electricity, no water, no connection with the outside world."

The threat of execution by ISIS, for offenses large and small, looms over everyone, he said. "They kill you if you don't fast. They kill you if you don't pray. They kill women if they show their faces. They have no other way of doing things than killing. The only punishment is killing: no prison, no fines, just killing, killing and killing."

The number of people fleeing Mosul and surrounding towns and villages has been rising steadily in recent weeks, as Iraqi government and Kurdish forces slowly retake territory around the city. At the same time the U.S.-led coalition is ratcheting up pressure, its planes targeting ISIS. The U.S. also announced it is sending more than 500 additional troops to support the battle to liberate Mosul.

Many of the children and families who escaped were taken to nearby refugee camps.

Before ISIS drove Iraqi forces from Mosul in June 2014, the city had a population of around two-and-a-half million people. Hundreds of thousands fled when the extremists took over, and hundreds of thousands more are expected to pour out of the city when the battle for Mosul begins in earnest.

The Kurdish soldiers -- known as Peshmerga -- welcome those who make it to their lines, but are nervous. They can never be sure if the men approaching them are genuinely fleeing to safety or are ISIS militants armed with explosive vests or weapons.

A man approaches soldiers after stripping down to his underwear.

Every man who approaches is ordered to strip down to his underwear and get down on his knees. Some soldiers keep their weapons aimed on these men as others approach them cautiously, asking questions. Others search their possessions, looking for identification and checking cell phones for messages or images that might hint at ISIS sympathies.

Once they've been cleared, the refugees are herded into trucks and moved to a nearby base. There they rest, the children sleep, and the adults talk of the life they left behind.

Children nap at a nearby base.

"The women all had to wear black and be completely covered up," recalls one woman. "The men had to grow their beards long. It was hard. There was no work, and there was nothing in the stores to buy. It was really bad."

Eventually these people will be moved to one of the many camps set up around northern Iraq for those who had fled ISIS. The lucky ones might be able to rent apartments in cities like Baghdad or Irbil or Kirkuk.

MORE: Mosul, the "mother of all battles"

Luis Miguel 1162 61587 Lima	RE: ARE WE NOW IN THE END TIMES? 7/27/2016 12:25:31 AM
	An ‘Unprecedented’ Wildfire Hits California At The Same Time ‘Unprecedented’ Heat Strikes The East Coast By Michael Snyder, on July 25th, 2016 It is starting to look more than just a little bit “apocalyptic” out there. If you follow my work closely, you already know that weather patterns in the United States have been going absolutely crazy and that last year was the worst year for wildfires in all of U.S. history. Well, this week things have gotten even worse. A “heat dome” has brought triple digit temperatures to much of the country, and an “unprecedented” wildfire is ripping through the hills north of Los Angeles “like a freight train“. The so-called Sand Fire started on Friday, and since that time it has been burning 10,000 acres a day. An acre is approximately the size of a football field, so that means this fire has been burning the equivalent of 10,000 football fields every single day, and it is only “10 percent contained” at this point. According to the latest count more than 51 square miles have been burned by this voracious fire, and on Sunday smoke from the fire could be seen 270 miles away in Las Vegas. Nearly 3,000 firefighters are currently battling the blaze, but the fire still seems to have the upper hand. At least one “charred corpse” has been found so far, and officials are hoping that other nearby residents are heeding their calls to evacuate. Fires of this nature are extremely serious, and they can move with astonishing speed when the conditions are right. This five year drought is the worst multi-year drought in the recorded history of the state of California, and such dry conditions are ideal for wildfires. Normally we don’t see “explosive” wildfires of this nature until later in the year, and that is one reason why authorities are describing what we have seen up to this point as “almost unprecedented”. The following comes from NBC Los Angeles… “This fire, what we’ve seen in 72 hours, is almost unprecedented,” said Los Angeles County Fire Department Battalion Chief Dennis Cross. “We’d have to go back a long way to compare a fire to this. And, we’re not through with this thing yet.” Some of the terms that are being used in the mainstream media to describe this fire are “extreme”, “ferocious” and “like a freight train”. Without a doubt, nobody should be underestimating the seriousness of what is taking place in northern Los Angeles County right now… Flames raced down a steep hillside “like a freight train,” leaving smoldering remains of homes and forcing thousands to flee the wildfire churning through tinder-dry canyons in Southern California, authorities said Sunday. The fire that has destroyed at least 18 homes in northern Los Angeles County gained ferocious new power two days after it broke out, sending so much smoke in the air that planes making drops on it had to be grounded for part of the afternoon. “For this time of year, it’s the most extreme fire behavior I’ve seen in my 32-year career,” County fire Chief Daryl Osby said. Nearby residents are posting plenty of photos from this fire on Facebook and Twitter, and some of these photos look quite apocalyptic. Even with all of our advanced technology, this kind of thing can still happen in the United States of America today, and it shows us that we are not quite as “all-powerful” as we would like to think. View image on Twitter Follow Aayushi @apriya_19 there is ash everywhere outside. literally looks like the apocalypse in southern California #SandFire 7:27 PM - 23 Jul 2016 328 Retweets 367 likes Meanwhile, another brutal heat wave continues to march across the country. Washington is the only one of the lower 48 states not to be hit by at least 90 degree heat, and many areas of the country have now had several days in a row when temps have soared into the triple digits. The following comes from the Daily Mail… An oppressive ‘heat dome’ that has brought triple-digit temperatures across the US – leaving more than 100 million people to find ways to cool off – has been blamed for at least 11 deaths. Temperatures have soared above 100F for days and the heat wave is expected to continue Monday in cities including New York, Washington, DC and Philadelphia as it hosts the Democratic National Convention. The heat wave’s victims include a 12-year-old boy, who collapsed on a hike in the Phoenix area, a three-year-old boy who was left in a hot car while his family attended a church service in Dallas, and a four-year-old girl who was left in a car in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. Personally, I find it very interesting that this “heat dome” is striking Philadelphia on the exact day when the Democratic National Convention is opening. Perhaps this is just another one of those “strange coincidences” that we have been witnessing in recent months. We live at a time when global weather patterns are starting to spin wildly out of control. For instance, just check out what has been happening in China lately… Some 8.6 million people have been affected by destructive floods and landslides caused by heavy rain in China, local media report. Officials said that at least 154 people have been killed and the death toll is likely to rise. The worst-hit was Hebei province in northern China, Xinhua news agency reported. Some 52,000 homes collapsed in the area. Hebei has about 73 million residents. At least 114 people have been killed and 111 are still missing in the province, according to the People’s Daily newspaper. And just consider what we have been seeing in the United States… -The worst multi-year drought in the history of the state of California -The worst year for wildfires in all of U.S. history -The worst stretch of historic floods America has ever seen -One of the worst periods of summer heat the nation has ever experienced Is this all happening by accident, or is there some explanation that ties all of these things together? In my latest book, I talk about how the Bible says that we should expect extreme weather, increased seismic activity and major earth changes during the time just before the return of Jesus Christ. So nothing that is happening right now should take us by surprise. In fact, what we are dealing with at the moment is likely just the tip of the iceberg. Great chaos is coming to our planet, and rapidly shifting weather patterns and unprecedented seismic events are going to have a dramatic impact on all of our lives. Unfortunately, most people are still busy snoozing away, and so they are not taking practical steps to get prepared for what is quickly closing in on us. (End Of The American Dream)
	"Choose a job you love and you will not have to work a day in your life" (Confucius)
	+1

Luis Miguel 1162 61587 Lima	RE: ARE WE NOW IN THE END TIMES? 7/27/2016 12:56:41 AM
	PRIEST, 84, KILLED BY ISIS KNIFEMEN AT NORMANDY CHURCH Police shot dead both assailants in Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray. BY LUCY CLARKE-BILLINGS ON 7/26/16 AT 10:07 AM Updated \| Two Islamist extremists armed with knives were shot dead by police in northern France on Tuesday after taking five people hostage and killing an elderly priest. The hostages—who also included two nuns and two worshipers—were held by the knifemen in the church in Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray, Normandy. Father Jacques Hamel, 84, died after one of the assailants slit his throat, police said. Another hostage is in a critical condition. Officers shot dead the hostage-takers as they emerged from the church with their hostages. The attackers entered the building through a back door during Mass, according to police. Television footage at the scene showed one person being stretchered into an awaiting ambulance. Emergency services at the scene of a hostage-taking at a church in Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray, northern France, on July 26, 2016. CHARLEY TRIBALLEAU/GETTY The Islamic State militant group (ISIS) claimed the attack via al-Amaq, the group's official news agency. Speaking outside the church on Tuesday afternoon, President Francois Hollande said the two attackers identified themselves as ISIS operatives. Hollande described the assault as “an ignoble terrorist attack.” Le Figaro reported that one of the hostages managed to escape and raised the alarm. French police have arrested one person in connection with the attack, according to Reuters, who cited a source close to the inquiry. The incident comes just days after the Bastille Day massacre in Nice that left 84 people dead. View image on Twitter Follow José Miguel Sardo @jmsardo #France #Latest #Rouen archbishop after#SaintEtienneDuRouvray attack : 84yo priest killed, 3 injured, 1 critical. 5:27 AM - 26 Jul 2016 12 Retweets 1 like After the attack in Nice, France extended a state of emergency for another six months. The measure gives police extra powers to carry out searches and place people under house arrest. The French government has been under huge pressure to prevent further attacks. An investigation into the incident will be led by anti-terrorism prosecutors, the interior ministry has said. Father Federico Lombardi, head of the Vatican press office, has issued a statement about the attack. “The Pope has been informed and shares in the grief and horror over this perverse violence, condemning in the most dramatic way every form of hatred and offering prayers for the people affected," he said. “We are particularly struck because this horrible violence, with the barbaric killing of a priest and the involvement of the faithful, happened in a church, a sacred place which stands for the love of God." This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available. (Newsweek)
	"Choose a job you love and you will not have to work a day in your life" (Confucius)
	+1

Luis Miguel 1162 61587 Lima	RE: ARE WE NOW IN THE END TIMES? 7/27/2016 1:13:12 AM
	Child dies in hot car as parents attend Bible study Ruth Gledhill CHRISTIAN TODAY CONTRIBUTING EDITOR 25 July 2016 A partially dried-up pond near downtown Dallas, Texas in a previous heatwave when temperatures reached 108 Fahrenheit (42 Celsius). A three-year-old boy has died in Dallas, Texas after he was accidentally left in a car in temperatures of around 100F when his parents went in to attend a church service. The distraught parents were attending Sunday afternoon Bible study at Rehoboth Praise Assembly in the city's White Rock area. At the Bible study, adults and children gather separately for the first half and come together after half an hour. The parents realised the boy was not in the church with them when their other four children arrived without him. The father ran to his SUV but the child was by then not responding. "Oh I'm really upset for him and the family. You know today is Sunday and every Sunday we pray. We believe in God," one church member, Reng Om, told Fox News. The boy was taken to hospital where he was pronounced dead. Police are looking into the case. According to kidsandcars, on average 37 children a year die from heat stroke after being left in a hot car. (christiantoday.com)
	"Choose a job you love and you will not have to work a day in your life" (Confucius)
	+1

Luis Miguel 1162 61587 Lima	RE: ARE WE NOW IN THE END TIMES? 7/27/2016 1:33:00 AM
	SPANISH HOSPITAL REGISTERS EUROPE’S FIRST CASE OF ZIKA-RELATED MICROCEPHALY The baby's mother was infected with the mosquito-borne virus in Latin America. BY CONOR GAFFEY ON 7/26/16 AT 9:37 AM A Spanish hospital has reported registering a baby born with microcephaly linked to the Zika virus, in what is believed to be the first such case in Europe. The child was born Monday at Vall d’Hebron University Hospital in Barcelona to a mother who contracted the virus during a trip to Latin America, according to the hospital. Spain’s Ministry of Health said that the case was thought to be the first child born with Zika-related microcephaly in Europe, CNN reported. Zika is transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito and has spread to 65 territories and countries, particularly across Latin America. The possible link between the virus and microcephaly—a condition where babies are born with underdeveloped brains and, consequently, abnormally small heads—was declared a public health emergency of international concern by the World Health Organization (WHO) in February, meaning that it poses a global threat requiring a coordinated response. Evidence has been mounting that the virus actually causes birth defects, with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announcing in April that it believed that Zika directly causes microcephaly and other birth defects. Spain has recorded 190 known Zika cases to date, with 189 contracted abroad and one sexually transmitted, according to the country’s health ministry. Spanish Secretary of Public Health Joan Guiz said that five other women with the virus have given birth to apparently healthy babies “in recent months,” showing that not every mother infected with the virus gives birth to children with developmental defects. There is currently no vaccination or treatment available for the virus, although the disease is rarely fatal in adults. The only way to avoid contracting Zika is to dodge being bitten by infected mosquitoes or skip traveling to areas of active transmission. The virus has thrown the participation of many athletes in the Rio 2016 Olympics into doubt, with several high-profile golfers—including Jason Day and Rory McIlroy—pulling out of the Games due to concerns about Zika. (Newsweek)
	"Choose a job you love and you will not have to work a day in your life" (Confucius)
	+1

Menu

Forums

Exclusive: Iraqis pack up a lifetime as they flee ISIS-held Mosul in the dark of night

An ‘Unprecedented’ Wildfire Hits California At The Same Time ‘Unprecedented’ Heat Strikes The East Coast

PRIEST, 84, KILLED BY ISIS KNIFEMEN AT NORMANDY CHURCH

Police shot dead both assailants in Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray.

Child dies in hot car as parents attend Bible study

SPANISH HOSPITAL REGISTERS EUROPE’S FIRST CASE OF ZIKA-RELATED MICROCEPHALY

The baby's mother was infected with the mosquito-borne virus in Latin America.