Rojava administration says Syrians in al-Hol can return

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Kurdish-led administration in northeast Syria (Rojava) on Thursday announced that its doors are open to the “voluntary return” of Syrians in the notorious al-Hol camp housing families of Islamic State (ISIS) suspects to their hometowns.

“We open the door for the voluntary return of Syrians in Al-Hol camp to their areas with full support,” read a statement from the Democratic Autonomous Administration in North and East Syria (DAANES).

Al-Hol camp in northeast Syria’s Hasaka province is infamous for its squalid conditions and has notoriously been branded a breeding ground for terrorism. Iraqis and Syrians make up the majority of the 40,000 ISIS-linked people who have been held at the camp since the defeat of the group in 2019.

After a coalition of rebels led by the Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) overthrew the Bashar al-Assad regime, Turkey and the Syrian militia groups it supports, who call themselves the Syrian National Army (SNA), increased attacks against areas held by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) such as the symbolic city of Kobane and the key Tishreen Dam on the Euphrates River.

The SDF has repeatedly said that the attacks against them have hindered their ability to conduct anti-ISIS operations

“We urge the UN to ensure the safe return of the displaced from Afrin, Ras al-Ain, and Tal Abyad,” the statement added.

Turkey led an offensive against the SDF in 2019 when it took control of Sare Kani (Ras al-Ain) and Gire Spi (Tal Abyad). The campaign was halted after Americans and Russians mediated a ceasefire.

Kurdish authorities in northeast Syria have repeatedly called on the international community to repatriate their nationals from the camp, but their calls have largely gone unanswered as most countries are unwilling to bring back their citizens due to security concerns.

Rojava administration says Syrians in al-Hol can return

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