Amid the incessant crackle of gunfire, the soldiers usher the cowering men through darkened rooms.
The men are barefoot, most of them wearing long robes, some with large stains. As voices holler at them in the darkness to move quickly, they hurry across the debris-littered floor past the gun-wielding soldiers.
The frantic scene is from a newly released video showing parts of the mission in northern Iraq on Thursday in which U.S., Kurdish and Iraqi forces freed around 70 hostages from an ISIS-controlled prison.
The rescue of the hostages, who the Pentagon said were facing "imminent mass execution," cost the life of one of the U.S. soldiers taking part in the operation -- Master Sgt. Joshua L. Wheeler.
A member of the U.S. Army's elite Delta Force, Wheeler was the first American to die in combat in Iraq in nearly four years. His death has raised questions about the nature of U.S. involvement in the fight against ISIS.
Angelique Kerber, the 2015 Family Circle Cup champion, and Andrea Petkvoic, the 2014 Family Circle Cup champion, will both return to Charleston for the inaugural Volvo Cars Open, April 2nd – 10th, 2016, on Daniel Island, S.C. The two top 20 players join Venus Williams and Madison Keys in a world-class player field forming for the 2016 tournament.
Kerber, currently ranked World No. 9, has won seven WTA titles, four of which she earned in 2015. After winning the Family Circle Cup, she went on to capture titles in Stuttgart, Birmingham and Stanford. She has made two previous appearances in Charleston, and holds a 7-1 win/loss record. As of October 2015, Kerber is on track to finish her fourth season in a row in the WTA Top 10.
Courtesy: Volvo Cars Open
“I am eager to play Charleston again next year,” said Angelique Kerber. “The 2015 tournament was a great week for me. I was happy with how I played, and everyone in Charleston was so friendly. I’m ready to be back and defend my title at the Volvo Cars Open.”
Fellow German countrywoman, Petkovic, currently ranked World No. 20, has made three previous appearances in Charleston and holds an 11-2 win/loss record. After winning the Family Circle Cup in 2014, she made the semifinals of the tournament the following year. Petkovic has six WTA titles, most recently winning in Bad Gastein and Sofia after Charleston in 2014, and Antwerp in 2015.
Courtesy: Volvo Cars Open
“Charleston holds a special place in my heart because it’s where I won my first ever Premier title,” said Petkovic. “It’s no secret that I love playing this tournament - the energy is relaxed, the fans are encouraging and the green clay really supports my game.”
“We are very excited to welcome back two former champions for our 2016 tournament,” said Eleanor Adams, Volvo Cars Open Tournament Manager. “Angie and Andrea have proven that they both play well here in Charleston, and I know each has made many new fans out of our attendees.”
Tickets for the 2016 Volvo Cars Open are now on sale. For more information on tickets, call 800.677.2293 or visit http://www.volvocarsopen.com. Patrons can purchase single session tickets, or choose from a variety of ticket and travel packages.
One person is dead and another is in the hospital after a car struck a motorcycle on Highway 78 near Shipley Street in Charleston County Thursday.
Highway Patrol says the accident was called in at 7:45 a.m.
Two people on the motorcycle were traveling in the median on Highway 78 when the a Honda CR-V pulled out of a private residence and hit them. The driver of the motorcycle was taken to the hospital with unknown injuries and the passenger died. The passenger was wearing a helmet.
The Honda driver was not injured.
The Charleston County Coroner will identify the victim. Charges are pending as Highway Patrol investigates.
Charleston County Dispatch said westbound traffic on Highway 78 was being rerouted to College Park Road.
A Rock Hill grandmother is recovering after police say a 2-year-old boy found a gun inside a car and shot her in the back.
According to police, officers were called to the 1100-block of Stanley Drive Sunday afternoon around 1:24 p.m.
Officers met with a woman who says she picked up her great-nephew and was driving him around, with his grandmother in the passenger seat.
While she was driving, the young boy found a .357 revolver in the pouch on the back of the passenger seat. He then accidentally shot his 40-year-old grandmother through the passenger seat.
"She’s probably lucky that it hit the car seat first because it slowed down the momentum of the bullet," said Rock Hill Police Captain Mark Bollinger.
The family was traveling through the light at Ogden Road and Heckle Boulevard when the woman heard the gun go off.
She looked in the back seat and the boy had the gun in both hands and began to cry. That's when the grandmother said she'd been hit by the bullet in the back.
"It was in a pouch behind the passenger seat, somehow the child reached in and got ahold of it, that’s something our detectives are working on today," Bollinger said.
The woman reportedly drove to a family member's home along Stanley Drive and called police.
The grandmother was transported to Carolinas Medical Center-Main in Charlotte.
There was earlier confusion from police on the age of the boy and the relationship to the woman who was shot.
Investigators will turn over case findings to the solicitor’s office for possible weapons or other charges.
"There could be some child neglect, or some unlawful conduct towards a child charges based on the age of the child and leaving the gun within reaching distance of a young minor," Bollinger said.
While the injuries aren’t believed to be life threatening, Bollinger says the incident is a reminder for parents to keep their guns locked and stowed away from children.
"We encourage people to get gun locks, we give them away free here at the Rock Hill Police Department," Bollinger said.
Family members and neighbors did not want to talk about what happened.
Following the flooding, many pet owners are noticing their dogs aren't feeling very good. Veterinarians across the Lowcountry are reporting that dogs are catching a contagious cough.
"It's contagious enough that I'm willing to say that walking your dog around the neighborhood can expose your dog," said Dr. Brooke Hardymon, Bees Ferry Veterinarian Hospital.
Dr. Hardymon says the most common symptom of this upper respiratory infection is a hacking, harsh cough.
Dr. Hardymon says it can take anywhere between two to 14 days for symptoms to show up after a dog has been exposed.
The severity of the infection depend on how healthy the dog is and which organisms they were exposed to, according to Dr. Hardymon.
To treat the cough, many vets are prescribing a cough suppressant and antibiotic to kill the bacteria.
Dr. Hardymon says if the cough is left untreated, it can be dangerous.
"In dogs, especially older or young dogs, or dogs who are are exposed to the more nasty critters that caused this virus, they can develop life threatening pneumonia," said Dr. Hardymon.
This nasty cough isn't the only thing wreaking havoc on mans best friend, after the flood.
"We've also been seeing a lot of GI problems, so stomachs upset, some of these nasty little critters that live in stagnant water that these dogs, and even cats, are exposed to," said Dr. Hardymon.
The symptoms for this are diarrhea, loss of appetite and sometimes even vomiting.
"I think there's a lot of things we need to be made aware of with the flood waters and how they relate to our pets," said Dr. Hardymon.
Dr. Hardymon says dog owners need to continue to keep their pets of the flood water, because it's still contaminated.
Now that the water has gone down in some areas, doesn't been the germs are gone too.
"I think as far as toys or other items that have been heavily exposed to these flood water, for me, I would just get rid of them," said Dr. Hardymon.
If you suspect your dog is suffering from this cough or a stomach bug - it's best to take your pet to the vet.
