“Al-Hawl mini-state” in July 2021 | SDC evacuates more Syrian families, while ISIS affiliates continue their murders, despite security campaigns
The successive incidents at al-Hawl camp in the far south-east region of Al-Hasakah are now a unrefuted evidence of the chaos recently unleashed by the Islamic State in Syria. Al-Hawl refugee camp has become more like a “mini-state” hosting ISIS-affiliated members and families. A true crisis that most countries of the world still ignore in order to avoid repatriating their unwanted citizens who joined the notorious organization. Chaos and lack of security are prevalent within the camp, turning it into a “ticking bomb” that cannot be ignored.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) tracked and monitored the key developments in the camp in July 2021.
As security chaos in al-Hawl camp has alarmingly escalated once again, SOHR activists could document six murders committed by ISIS cells in al-Hawl camp in July 2021, which left six Iraqi refugees dead, including three women. The victims were killed in the first, second and third sections of the camp
Accordingly, the number of murders documented by SOHR in al-Hawl camp since the beginning of 2021 has risen to 59, 13 murders in January, ten in February, 17 in March, one in April, six in May, six in June, and six in July. These murders have left 63 people dead, and the breakdown of fatalities in the past seven months was as follows:
- Two members of the Internal Security Forces (Asayish).
- 46 Iraqi refugees, including three children and 13 women.
- 15 Syrian people, including two children, four woman and the head of the “Syrian Council” in the camp.
- A gunman of a cell responsible for assassinations and murders in the camp, who was killed when he blew himself up with a grenade just after he had been caught by an Asayish patrol which was pursuing him.
On July 15, the administration of al-Hawl camp evacuated 82 families of nearly 299 people from al-Raqqah province, from the camp as a part of the initiative by “Syrian Democratic Council” (SDC) to evacuate Syrians from Al-Hawl camp.
Accordingly, 552 Syrian families have left al-Hawl camp since the beginning of 2021 as follows:
- In January: 98 families
- In February: 105 families
- In March: 125 families
- In May: 83 families
- In June: 59 families
- In July: 82 families.
On July 30, SOHR activists reported that the Internal Security Forces “Asayish” launched a security campaign in al-Hawal camp in the far south-eastern region of al-Hasakah, where they arrested 15 people in the camp’s fifth and sixth sections. Some of the arrested people were accused of “belonging and dealing with ISIS”, while the others were accused of committing murders in “al-Hawal mini-state”.
Moreover, a Russian child of ISIS families died in an accident in al-Hawl camp in al-Hasakah countryside, as a water truck ran over him.
The Syrian Observatory renews its appeal to the international community for a solution to “Al Hawl mini-state” crisis, which is considered a clear and present danger to everyone. We, at the Syrian Observatory, once more renew our call to the UN Security Council, all organizations concerned and countries that claim to respect and champion human rights globally to act immediately to stop the crimes and violations committed against the Syrian people by the Islamic State and many other active actors on the ground, and to establish appropriate courts for prosecuting the perpetrators. We call on all those countries that have citizens in Al-Hawl camp to find a solution for those individuals and face up to their responsibility.