Boy abducted by ISIS reunited with his family in Winnipeg after eight years
Eight years after Ayad Alhussein was abducted by the terror group ISIS, he has been reunited with his family in Winnipeg.
On Thursday at the Winnipeg Richardson International Airport, Amal and Leila Alhussein hugged their little brother Ayad for the first time in eight years.
"We're just so excited to welcome him to our new home here in Winnipeg," Amal said.
They were last together at their home in Iraq when in 2014, ISIS arrived in the Yazidi family's community. Amid the carnage, the family of 20 was reduced to just four. Ayad, who was only six years old at the time, was abducted by the terror group.
"He spent almost five years in captivity where torture and violence was a daily occurrence," said Jamileh Naso, president of the Canadian Yazidi Association. "By some miracle he managed to escape ISIS captivity."
Ayad made it to a displaced person's refugee camp in Iraq where he would spend almost another three years waiting.
His parents and most of his family were gone. But in that time, his two sisters Amal and Leila had made their way to Winnipeg.
"(They were) sponsored (to come) here under the 2017 Yazidi refugee program that the government initiated," Naso said.
Following work by a multi-faith coalition and the Canadian Yazidi Association, this family is now reunited.
After embracing his family for the first time in eight years, Ayad said, "It still feels like a dream and doesn't really feel real yet."
Now that Ayad is in Winnipeg, he said he is excited to be with his sisters and is looking forward to starting school.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canadian gov't proposes new foreign influence registry as part of wide-spanning new bill
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government is proposing a suite of new measures and law changes aimed at countering foreign interference in Canada, amid extensive scrutiny over past meddling attempts and an ever-evolving threat landscape.
Boeing Starliner capsule's first crewed test flight postponed
The long-awaited first crewed test flight of Boeing's new Starliner space capsule was called off for at least 24 hours over a technical issue that launch teams were unable to resolve in time for the planned Monday night lift-off.
Teacher charged in historical sexual assault of Calgary teenage girl
Calgary police have charged a teacher with the alleged sexual assault of a teenage girl more than 20 years ago.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Man banned from owning animals after fatal Calgary dog attack
The owner of three Calgary dogs that got loose and mauled a woman to death in 2022 has been ordered to pay a $15,000 fine within one year and banned from owning any animal for 15 years.
East-end Ottawa family dealing with massive rat infestation
Residents in Ottawa’s Elmridge Gardens complex are dealing with a rat infestation that just won’t go away. Now, after doing everything they can to try to fix the issue, they are pleading with the city to step in and help.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Newfoundland and Labrador latest province to tighten rules on Airbnbs
Newfoundland and Labrador is the latest jurisdiction to bring in stricter rules for short-term rentals, with a coming set of regulations that will force operators to register with the provincial government.