Thirty-six members of Iraq's minority Yezidi community have recently been rescued after being held captive for nearly three years by Daesh "the Islamic State extremist militia", the United Nations said on Sunday.
The group included children and women. They have been taken to care centres in Duhok in northern Iraq, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in a statement.
"These survivors will be referred for further specialised treatment and support at women's centres especially established by UNFPA," it added, referring to a UN population agency.
It was not clear how the 36 people had been rescued from Islamic State slavery.
An estimated 1,500 women and girls remain in captivity and may be exposed to protracted sexual abuse by Islamic State, according to OCHA.
The radical Sunni militia regards Yezidis, followers of an ancient faith, as devil-worshippers.
Iraq is engaged in an ongoing US-backed campaign to drive Islamic State from Mosul, the extremist group's last key stronghold in the country.
