Islamic State frees 70 Kurdish schoolchildren kidnapped in Syria

Islamic State jihadists last night freed 70 Kurdish schoolchildren its fighters kidnapped in northern Syria in May.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said parents had reported the release of the children, who are believed to be aged between 13 and 15.

The group of 70 were among 153 schoolchildren, most of them boys, abducted on May 29 in the northern province of Aleppo on their way home from sitting school exams.

It is not known why the group decided to free the 70 hostages, and the Observatory said that about 30 children were still being held.

The release of the hostages came as British fighter jets launched their first attacks against Islamic State targets in Iraq yesterday, according to Defence Minister Michael Fallon.

Meanwhile, it emerged that US military efforts against Islamic State have cost nearly US$1 billion so far and were likely to run between US$2.4 billion and US$3.8 billion a year if air and ground operations continued at the current pace, according to a think-tank analysis.