At least 100 Islamic State members escape the Al Hol camp in Syria
Up to 100 suspected ISIS members escaped Al Hol camp in eastern Syria on Wednesday, as concerns over the security of prisons under Kurdish control grows one week into a Turkish-backed offensive in North East Syria.
A western diplomatic source told The National that dozens escaped from the camp’s so-called annex – where many of the most dangerous, foreign ISIS members are held.
The camp has a population of over 60,000, most of whom are internally displaced people from Iraq and Syria. Yet more than 10,000 foreign women and children are also housed a secure section known as the annex.
The source did not say what nationalities may have been among the escapees.
It came as Iraq’s foreign minister announced the country would take back Iraqi ISIS suspects currently held in SDF custody.
There has been a wave of attempted break outs from facilities holding ISIS suspects since the Turkish operation – dubbed Operation Peace Spring – began last Wednesday.
ISIS-affiliated channels on Telegram named the two Belgian ISIS militants believed to have who escaped Kurdish custody last week as Mohammed Botachbaqut and Yassine Cheikhki, according to the Qamishli based Rojava Information Centre.
A spokesperson for the Turkey-backed Syrian National Army confirmed that a number of the estimated 785 suspected ISIS members who escaped Ain Issa camp on Sunday were now in their custody in a village close to Tel Abyad.
On Wednesday, The Telegraph tracked two high-profile female ISIS members – Toba Gondal and Lisa Smith, to the village.
The French government confirmed that nine French citizens were among those who have escaped.
ISIS also claimed a further jailbreak near Raqqa on Wednesday during a raid on a “PKK headquarters”.
The formerly US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces currently hold up to 2,000 foreign ISIS fighters in custody, as well as thousands of women and children in camps and prisons which have been thrown into disarray over the past week.
Source: The National
