London, Dec 23 (IANS/EFE): Amnesty International (AI) Tuesday denounced the torture, including rape and other forms of sexual violence, suffered by women and girls from Iraq's Yazidi religious minority abducted by the Islamic State (IS) radical group.

An AI report entitled, "Escape from hell: Torture, sexual slavery in Islamic State captivity in Iraq", provides an insight into the abuse suffered by hundreds and possibly thousands of Yazidi women and girls who have been forcibly married, "sold" or given as "gifts" to IS fighters or their supporters.

Often, captives were forced to convert to Islam.

"Hundreds of Yazidi women and girls have had their lives shattered by the horrors of sexual violence and sexual slavery in IS captivity," said Donatella Rovera, AI senior crisis response advisor, who spoke to more than 40 former captives in northern Iraq, in a statement.

The Yazidi community, a religious minority settled in Kurdish territory divided between the states of Turkey, Iraq, Syria and Iran, follow an ancient, pre-Islamic monotheistic religion.

"Many of those held as sexual slaves are children -- girls aged 14, 15 or even younger. IS fighters are using rape as a weapon in attacks amounting to war crimes and crimes against humanity," Rovera added.

One such case is that of Wafa, 27, a former captive, who explained to AI how she and her sister attempted to end their lives one night after their captor threatened them with forced marriage.

"We tied the scarves around our necks and pulled away from each other as hard as we could, until I fainted. I could not speak for several days after that," she said.

"The Kurdistan regional government, the UN and other humanitarian organisations who are providing medical and other support services to survivors of sexual violence must step up their efforts," Rovera said.

"They must ensure they are swiftly and pro-actively reaching out to all those who may need them, and that women and girls are made aware of the support available to them," she added.