A Syrian woman liberated from captivity says Islamic State militants held her and more than two dozen other women and children in different hideouts for nearly three months. She says they once kept them captive in a moving car for over 12 hours without knowing where they were headed. Najwa Abu Ammar, from the southern Sweida province, says the militants didn’t torture them but fed them sporadically and insulted and beat the children. As her ordeal was about to end, Najwa Abu Ammar’s 8-year-old was shot by IS militants during an operation by the Syrian military to liberate the hostages held since July. Her son Rafaat died in her arms. His cousin Qusay, 13, was also shot and bled for five hours before he died. Published in Daily Times, November 11th 2018.