The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights

Security campaign | International Coalition and SDF arrest “smuggler” associated with ISIS cells in “Al-Hawl mini-state”

Reliable sources have informed the Syrian Observatory that a military group of Syria Democratic Forces, backed by International Coalition Forces, stormed a house in Tal Hamis area in the north-eastern countryside of Al-Hasakah yesterday. The military forces have arrested a person who works as a “Smuggler” in Al-Hawl camp in the south-east of Al-Hasakah and he is in contact with ISIS cells present there, which are responsible for periodical murders in the camp.

 

This development comes in the wake of the ongoing escape attempts from the camp, which usually take place with the help of smugglers and “corrupt” guards of Al-Hawl camp.

 

On January 23, SOHR sources reported that security chaos continued in the Al-Hawl camp, which was transformed into a “state”, in which killings in various ways and methods was committed by cells affiliated with the Islamic State, targeting everyone disagreed with them, including displaced people and refugees who were living in a dire conditions with indifference by the international community, despite highlighting these crises, particularly by SOHR.

 

In this context, the Internal Security Forces “Asayish” found the body of an Iraqi refugee, after being killed by a pistol with a silencer in the third section of Al-Hawl camp in east al-Hasakah countryside.

 

Accordingly, the number of people killed in the camp since the beginning of this year rose to 13. A breakdown of fatalities was as follows:

 

  • Nine Iraqi refugees, including a child and three women

 

  • Two Syrians, one of whom was the head of the “Syrian Council” in the camp
  • One Al-Asaysh member

 

  • A gunman of the cells responsible for the killings. He was killed after blowing himself up with a grenade, after being chased by a patrol of Asayish Forces.

 

In a report published earlier this month, the Syrian Observatory pointed out that the death casted its shadows over “Al-Hawl mini state” in the north-eastern Al-Hasakah, claiming the lives of more people in the wake of the deteriorating situations and inaction of all international actors and institutions.

 

SOHR activists documented the deaths of 209 persons since early 2020, including 95 children under the age of 18, due to the international organizations’ inaction which was reflected in the deteriorating health and living conditions, lack of medicine, and shortage of medical care in the camp.

 

Security chaos continued in 2020 in al-Hawl camp, south-east of Al-Hasakah, with escalating and ongoing killings by the Islamic State cells in light of the international community’s indifference to the camp’s multinational population.

 

In 2020, the Syrian Observatory activists documented 33 assassinations in the camp carried out through various ways. A breakdown of fatalities was as follows:

 

  • 21 Iraqi refugees, mostly collaborators with the Internal Security Forces (Al-Asayish)

 

  • Six Russian women

 

  • Two Iraqis

 

  • Three Syrians

 

  • Six Syrian men, including the guard of a relief organization working in the camp.