January was a record month for northeastern Syria’s infamous al-Hol Camp, east of Hassakeh, as it recorded its highest monthly death toll in the camp’s history. Twenty murders were recorded, among the victims Iraqi refugees, displaced Syrians and a member of the Internal Security Forces (Asayish).
On Sunday morning, the camp residents woke up to news of yet another murder. The victim was the Iraqi refugee who sustained bullet wounds to the head and abdomen from an unknown assailant.
The camp administration told North Press on Sunday there has been an unprecedented increase in killings.
A security source from al-Hol Camp said that a number of ISIS agents in the camp have been arrested since the beginning of 2021, after an increase in ISIS activity and their alleged involvement in 20 murders.
The source pointed out that investigations are still ongoing to uncover the networks cooperating with ISIS cells to carry out the killings and assassinations in the camp.
The camp also witnessed three assassination attempts during this month.
The administration expressed fear of a deteriorating situation amid growing ISIS activity in the Syrian Desert and near the Iraqi-Syrian border.
The Under-Secretary-General of the UN Counter-Terrorism Office, Vladimir Voronkov, called for the repatriation of children of the Islamic State (ISIS) in al-Hol Camp to their countries on Friday.
During an online meeting of the UN Security Council on Friday, Voronkov said, “These children are the responsibility of their countries, and of Syria.”
This article was edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
