After accomplishing first phase of large-scale security campaign | Asayish Forces arrest four members of ISIS cells in Al-Hawl camp

SOHR sources have reported that the Internal Security Forces (Asayish) arrested four members of ISIS cells in Al-Hawl camp in Al-Hasakah countryside, after other members of ISIS cells, arrested earlier, had informed about their whereabouts.

 

This development comes after the first phase of the large-scale security campaign launched by joint forces, including Assayish Forces, in Al-Hawl camp, targeting members and cells dealing with ISIS.

 

Yesterday, reliable sources informed SOHR that Abu Karrar Al-Iraqi, the senior ISIS commander who had been arrested in Al-Hawl camp, acknowledged of ordering the killing of a man and a woman of Iraqi nationality in early 2020. The two persons were killed at that time by hitting them with hammers, according to the commander. The victims’ bodies were found in the sewage of the Hawl camp’s first section allocated to Iraqi refugees.

 

SOHR sources had reported that the Internal Security Forces (Asayish) issued an official statement, announcing the end of the first phase of the large-scale security campaign which targeted ISIS cells and affiliates whose activities were escalated greatly in “Al-Hawl mini-state”. The statement, of which the Syrian Observatory obtained a copy, read “the Internal Security Forces announce the end of the first phase of the humanitarian and security campaign in Al-Hawl camp, which has been launched with the support of Syria Democratic Forces, the Women’s Protection Units (YPJ), and the People’s Protection Units (YPG), and which began on March 28, 2021, after exerting great efforts by all sides in order to restore security and stability to the residents of Al-Hawl camp, after ISIS sleeper cells’ escalating operations there.

 

More than 5,000 security members have been assigned in the operation. Our forces paid great attention to respect human rights of the residents including children representing a large part of the camp. Children in the camp face the threat of terrorism that ISIS cells are promoting among civilians.

 

As we mentioned before, we have started this operation for the safety of the camp residents in the camp, which is one of the largest and most dangerous camps in the world, with more than 60 thousand people from 57 different countries, mostly ISIS families. Moreover, many members of the ISIS terrorist organization entered the camp as civilians, trying to create an appropriate atmosphere in order to reorganize in the camp and continue the terror activities all over the world. ISIS affiliates have committed more than 47 murders and executions inside the camp since the beginning of this year.

 

We are here today to announce the end of the first phase of the humanitarian and security campaign, which lasted for five consecutive days, and in a professional manner in dealing with all aspects of the campaign by our forces and the forces supporting us. After regarding all needed measures and procedures, a total of 125 ISIS cell members, 20 of whom are responsible for the murders in the camp, have been arrested. Military and electronic equipment used in manufacturing IEDs has been also seized.

 

We assert on the fact that although we captured many sleeper cell members, the danger is not over in Al-Hawl Camp.  As long as the international community does not deem Al-Hawl Camp as an international serious dilemma and find a suitable solution to repatriate foreign nationals to their country, the danger will prevail.

 

The success of our operation has created an atmosphere of stability and peace in Al-Hawl Camp. However, this stability would be temporary without international support. It is time to use this opportunity together and reach a permanent solution together. The ideology of terrorism and atonement is still alive and it targets children in particular, which poses a threat to the whole world in medium and long terms.

 

As the Internal Security Forces Command, we find it valuable that our forces, SDF, YPG and YPJ forces continue their efforts in a professional manner.”

 

SOHR sources in al-Hawl camp in far south-east of al-Hasakah had said that the Anti-Terrorist Forces carried out an operation on Thursday evening as part of the security campaign in the camp, which resulted in the arrest of eight members of the “Islamic State” of Iraqi nationalities, one of whom is a senior commander called “Abu Karrar”.

 

Accordingly, the number of ISIS members and collaborators arrested since the start of the campaign on March 28, rose to 96, mostly of non-Syrian nationalities, including senior commander “Abu Karrar” and another Iraqi official, al-Zakat official of an Algerian nationality, and 11 ISIS women who involved in the killings and provision of equipment used in their crimes.

 

The Syrian Observatory would like to point out that many other people, including women, were arrested during the past five days of the campaign, but they were released after interrogation.

 

The forces participating in the large-scale security campaign continued taking fingerprints of people aged 15 years and above in order to confirm their identities. The first phase of the security campaign in the camp was expected to be accomplished today, Friday, while the second phase would be start in the coming hours and days.

 

A day earlier, the forces participating in the campaign announced the arrest of “Mohammed Abdulrahman Sherif Dabbakh” while hiding in Al-Hawl camp. Dabbakh is Algerian and he was the ISIS military Emir in Al-Shaddadi and Al-Raqqah, and he had lost his eye in an earlier military operations. According to the security forces, Dabbakh served as the ISIS Emir of zakat in Al-Hawl. This development has raised new questions about the ways ISIS commanders and officials used to reach Al-Hawl camp without being detected. How could these commanders and officials enter the camp where they hid, smuggled weapons into the camp and committed murders?! And where were the camp’s guards?!

 

SOHR sources reported a few hours earlier that communications were cut off to Al-Hawl camp in the far south-eastern region of al-Hasakah, as the security campaign continued in the camp, its surroundings and the town of Al-Hawl for the fifth day in a row by joint forces comprising over 5,000 fighters of Syria Democratic Forces, People’s Protection Units (YPG), Women’s Protection Units (YPJ), Internal Security Forces (Asayish) and Counter-Terrorism Special Units (H.A.T.), with logistical support by American forces.

 

Meanwhile, search operations for weapons, ammunition and electronic devices continued, while many people were arrested on remand, including women.

 

On Wednesday, the forces participating in the large-scale campaign in Al-Hawl camp announced the arrest of Abu Mohammed Al-Jomaily on March 31. Al-Jomaily was born in 1959 in the Iraqi city of Al-Anbar, and he had worked for Al-Qaeda in Iraq, before he joined ISIS and served as a Sharia Emir (senior sharia commander) and mufti until he hid among the inhabitants of Al-Hawl camp.

 

The arrest of Al-Jomaily has raised several questions regarding the presence of ISIS officials and commanders for such long time in the camp which is supposed to host refugees, displaced people and families (children and women only) of ISIS members. Then, how could these commanders as well as weapons, ammunition and devices enter the camp?! And why were the forces in charge of the camp not aware of such violations?!

 

While on Tuesday, SOHR activists said that the large-security campaign continued in the “Al-Hawl mini-state”, located in the south-eastern countryside of al-Hasaka, for the fourth day in a row by joint forces comprising over 5,000 fighters of Syria Democratic Forces, People’s Protection Units (YPG), Women’s Protection Units (YPJ), Internal Security Forces (Asayish) and Counter-Terrorism Special Units (H.A.T.), with logistical support by the International Coalition forces.

 

According to Syrian Observatory sources, the joint forces arrested more than 65 people in the first three days, mostly of non-Syrian nationalities, including 29 women, and others were also arrested and soon released after the investigation.

 

In addition, the joint forces confiscated weapons and equipment from the camp, which has become a “mini-state” in which ISIS cells move freely, amid widespread corruption by the camp’s guards, as many weapons and tunnels were found inside the camp.