Kurdish forces launch new op to protect children in al-Hol camp

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Kurdish-led forces in northeast Syria and their international allies have launched a new operation to protect residents of al-Hol camp, which houses family members and supporters of the Islamic State (ISIS), especially the youth who are at risk of being exploited by the terror group.

“In light of the ongoing security challenges inside al-Hol Camp, the Internal Security Forces and the Women’s Internal Security Forces of North and East Syria, the Women’s Defense Units (YPJ), with the support of the Syrian Democratic Forces and the International Coalition, announce the launch of a new phase of the “Humanity and Security” operation.

This campaign aims to protect the residents of al-Hol Camp and to ensure the safe continuation of humanitarian organizations’ activities inside the camp,” the general command of internal security forces said on Friday in a statement published by the YPJ. 

As of late July, al-Hol camp in Hasakah province houses more than 28,000 people with suspected links to ISIS, most of them women and children. The camp’s residents come from around the world, though the majority are Iraqis and Syrians. The camp has been called a breeding ground for terrorism.

“In recent months, the camp has witnessed an increase in ISIS sleeper cell activities, with more than thirty attacks carried out against humanitarian workers. These attacks have led to the destruction of facilities and service infrastructures, placing the lives of thousands of civilians at risk and obstructing humanitarian and stabilization efforts,” the statement said.

“The campaign seeks to dismantle terrorist networks, safeguard aid organizations and their staff, and prevent the exploitation of children under the so-called “Cubs of the Caliphate,”” it added.

Cubs of the Caliphate is the term ISIS used for the boys they trained as child soldiers.

The statement said ISIS was attempting to indoctrinate teens and children with their extremist ideas and “enforcing radical practices within the camp, and inciting minors to adopt violence and target humanitarian organizations.”