We really don’t know much about what happens on the front line of the fight against ISIS, most of the fighting taking place far from the prying eyes of the world.

A new video released by the Kurdistan Region Security Council, however, does give us some kind of look at what it takes to free hostages from an Islamic State compound. The raid saw one loss of life for US troops, Master Sergeant Joshua Wheeler the first American soldier to die in ground combat operations against IS militants. More information here from Sky:

…dozens of hostages can be seen being rescued by Kurdish Peshmerga and US forces from the prison.

Some hostages had blood on their clothing, and were walking and running in single file as soldiers beckoned them through rooms in the raid in northern Iraq.

Sixty-nine detainees were rescued in Thursday’s operation and gunfire could be heard as they escaped…

They included about 20 members of the Iraqi security forces as well as local residents and IS fighters that the militant group had accused of spying or treason,

The Pentagon have confirmed that ‘a number’ of IS militants were killed in the raid, although they weren’t very forthcoming on what that number was.

[source:sky]