News / Iraq

Four German women among 26 foreigners arrested in Mosul: Report

Sunday, 23 July 2017 10:03 AM [ Last Update: Sunday, 23 July 2017 10:16 AM ]

A displaced Iraqi woman whose family members are accused of being Daesh members sits under a tent at the Jadaah camp on the outskirts of al-Qayyarah, south Mosul, July 19, 2017. (Photo by AFP)

Iraqi officials say 26 foreigners, including four German women, have been arrested in the northern city of Mosul, which used to serve as the Daesh terrorist group’s last stronghold.

The Associated Press reported the figure on Saturday, citing three Iraqi intelligence and investigative officials.

The rest of those arrested comprised 14 more females, two men, and eight children, it said, adding they have all been transferred to Baghdad.

The Germans, they said, were of Moroccan, Algerian, Chechen, and German descent, adding that they had allegedly been working with Daesh in the outfit’s police force.

The French and German embassies have visited the women, the report said. It further cited the officials as saying they expected that the children be handed over to the countries they belonged to, and the women be tried on terrorism charges.

Also on Saturday, prosecutors confirmed that a 16-year-old German, only identified as Linda W., was among those arrested.

Prosecutor Lorenz Haase from the city of Dresden said she was getting consular assistance from the German Embassy.

The detainee hails from the town of Pulsnitz in eastern Germany, and had been spotted almost a year ago in Turkey.

The market square of the eastern Germany town of Pulsnitz, pictured on July 22, 2017. (Photo by AFP)

Daesh named Mosul as its so-called headquarters after the onset of its terror campaign against Iraq in 2014. The Iraqi military retook the city earlier in July at the end of nine months of military operations.

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