ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - A senior official in the Kurdish-led administration governing northeast Syria (Rojava) warned on Sunday that escalating fighting with Damascus-affiliated forces risks triggering an Islamic State (ISIS) resurgence and endangering camps holding thousands of families linked to the extremist group.
Sheikhmous Ahmed, who oversees camps for internally displaced people (IDPs) and refugees in Rojava, said in a statement that “the war facing the region is dangerously paving the way for the resurgence of ISIS under different names,” warning of “a serious and direct threat to the camps in North and East Syria, particularly al-Hol Camp and Roj Camp, which host thousands of families of the ISIS terrorist organization.”
The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) are responsible for securing the two main camps housing ISIS remnants in Rojava, al-Hol, and Roj.
Al-Hol, located in Hasaka province, holds nearly 25,000 people with alleged ISIS ties and has long been notorious for dire living conditions and entrenched radicalization, earning a reputation as a potential incubator for extremism. Iraqis and Syrians make up the majority of residents, alongside thousands of foreign nationals who joined ISIS or lived under its rule. The camp previously housed around 60,000 people. Roj Camp accommodates families deemed less dangerous than those held at al-Hol.
Ahmed warned that “the continued military operations by factions affiliated with the Damascus government threaten to destabilize security not only at the local level, but also pose a danger to civil peace and regional stability,” citing the fragile conditions inside camps and prisons holding ISIS members.