Former ISIL captive recounts horrors of living with the terror group

A 12-year-old girl rescued from the so-called Islamic State has described the horrors of living in the clutches of the terrorist organization.

The girl was among a group of female Eritrean captives freed by the pro-Libyan government forces.

The 11 female migrants were in Libya en route to Europe about a year and a half ago when they were seized by so-called Islamic State.

“The men used to rape us and we couldn’t do anything. If we refused, they tied us down with ropes and then raped us again, and we were powerless. They did whatever they wanted to us and then sold us or threatened to hand us over to other people,” she said.

“I prayed for death because death would have been better than living with ISIL. That is why we jumped from the third floor of the building,” she added.

She said she suffered minor injuries and her mother, who joined her in the suicide attempt, broke her legs.

Without hopes of her ordeal ending, the girl is happy to be free but still habours fears about the future.

“We entered Libya illegally through the desert and this is another problem in and of itself. I wish the world could find a solution to our problems. We want to head to Europe to keep ourselves safe, and I hope that if the world can see our suffering, they will help us,” she said.

The female captives were freed together with a Turk and an Egyptian, amid fighting to recapture part of the city of Sirte from ISIL.

After a six-month campaign backed by US air strikes, Libyan forces have taken back most of Sirte, although the extremists are holding out with snipers, boobytraps and car bombs.