At least 44 people, including 14 women, have been killed this year in the al-Hol camp, which hosts internally displaced persons and families of suspected IS fighters. “We launched the campaign at this time because of the urgency caused by the escalation and increase in violent incidents from IS cells in the al-Hol camp,” said Ali Hassan, a spokesman for internal security forces operating in Syria’s semi-autonomous region. Northeastern. Sign up now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register He told Reuters the victims showed signs of “brutal torture”, were often killed with silenced pistols or rifles and their bodies hidden in sewer pipes. “Compared to last year, there is an increase in the pace of operations inside the camp, especially during and after the attempted prison break,” Hassan said. He was referring to a January riot at a prison in northeastern Syria, where Islamic State suspects trying to escape from the prison seized part of the holding area and dozens escaped. Hassan said the perpetrators of the al-Hol violence likely had contact with IS units still roaming free. Al-Hol is home to about 55,000 people, including Syrians, Iraqis and other nationals who fled IS-held areas as the jihadists faced an onslaught from the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces. The UN refugee agency in June described the situation in the camp as “catastrophic” and said an additional “safe space” must be created to protect women and girls from attacks. The agency said aid agencies had vandalized their facilities and looted their equipment, and that repeated lockdowns due to security incidents in the camp meant aid workers had reduced access to people in need. Sign up now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register Report by Orhan Qereman. Maya Gebeily writes. Editing by Nick Macfie Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
