Islamic State suspects arrested in the al-Hol camp in an ongoing security operation

The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the internal security forces (Asayish) have arrested several Islamic State (ISIS) suspects and affiliates in a large-scale ongoing military operation in al-Hol camp in northeast Syria (Rojava), a conflict monitor reported on Saturday.

The security forces have arrested several ISIS-affiliated men of different nationalities on Friday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said, as the operation entered its fourth day.

SOHR did not disclose the exact number of those detained.

The SDF and Asayish launched a large-scale security operation at the camp after two ISIS-affiliated women escaped from the fifth section of al-Hol on Wednesday as the escape alerted the forces.

The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) arrested thousands of ISIS fighters and their wives and children when they took control of the group’s last stronghold in Syria in March 2019. Most of these people are held at al-Hol, which is home to more than 60,000 people – mostly women and children of different nationalities.

Security forces arrested 14 Iraqis for committing violations at the camp in late November.

Al-Hol has been branded a breeding ground for terrorism, with human rights groups warning of squalid conditions at the camp.

There have been repeated calls from Kurdish and US officials asking the international community to repatriate their nationals from al-Hol, but only a few countries have responded positively as they are worried about security concerns.

Four Swedish nationals, including two children from ISIS families, were repatriated from the camp on Wednesday.

Source: SOHR