ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - At least 16 suspected Islamic State (ISIS) members have been detained during an ongoing operation in al-Hol camp, northeast Syria (Rojava), Kurdish forces announced on Saturday.
“The security campaign against ISIS mercenary cells in al-Hol camp continues in its second day. 16 mercenaries were arrested during combing operations in al-Hol camp and its surroundings. Three Kalashnikov rifles, two pistols, and various ammunition were also seized,” read a statement from the Asayish, internal security forces.
Local media reported that 28 people were detained and 16 of them were accused of having links to ISIS.
The Asayish on Friday announced a joint operation in al-Hol camp with the Women’s Protection Units (YPJ), supported by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), saying that ISIS has launched several attacks targeting both civilians and security personnel and is ramping up efforts to rebuild its ranks and capabilities.
A focus for the extremist group is al-Hol camp in Hasaka province that holds around 40,000 people from around the world, mostly Iraqis and Syrians, with alleged links to ISIS.
Conditions in the sprawling camp are rough. The situation has worsened with the interruption of international aid, according to the Asayish, which said on Friday that ISIS has tried to smuggle people out of the camp and systematically targeted children and youth to indoctrinate them and spread its ideology. Humanitarian aid centers in the camp have also been attacked.
The Iraqi government is slowly repatriating its citizens, but many nations have resisted taking responsibility for their nationals because of security concerns, despite repeated pleas by the Rojava administration.
ISIS captured vast swathes of Iraqi and Syrian territory in 2014. The group’s so-called caliphate was dismantled in 2019, but the jihadists remain a security threat. ISIS has tried to take advantage of the changing security landscape in Syria after the fall of the regime of Bashar al-Assad.
