Into the fire

In August 2014, the extremist group ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria) invaded Sinjar, a town in northern Iraq.

Sinjar was home to many Yazidis, a Kurdish-speaking ethnic and religious minority group in Iraq.

Yazidis have faced long-standing persecution due to their distinct religious beliefs.

ISIS, which considers Yazidis to be infidels (people who reject their religion), committed acts of violence against them.

During the invasion, ISIS killed thousands of Yazidis and enslaved thousands of women and girls.

The international community later recognized these actions as genocide, a term used to describe systematic efforts to destroy a specific group of people.

The Yazidis' situation became a symbol of the broader atrocities committed by ISIS during this period.