Authorities foil escape attempt by 18 ISIS-linked women, children from Syria's Hol camp

11-12-2025
Rudaw
A+ A-

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Kurdish authorities in northeast Syria (Rojava) have foiled an overnight escape attempt by 18 women and children allegedly linked to the Islamic State (ISIS) at al-Hol camp, the camp’s director Jihan Hanan told Rudaw.

She said the group consisted of nationals from Russia and Turkmenistan.

Hol, located near Hasaka city, is notorious for overcrowding and poor living conditions, and has long been described as a breeding ground for extremist activity.

Sheikhmous Ahmed, the official overseeing Rojava’s camps for refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs), told Rudaw in late November that the camp’s population has fallen to 25,183 residents, including 14,920 Syrians, 3,988 Iraqis, and over 6,200 foreign nationals.

The camp once held around 60,000 people.

Kurdish authorities have repeatedly urged foreign governments to repatriate their citizens. Iraq, in particular, has been praised for its ongoing efforts to bring its nationals home.

 

Comments

Rudaw moderates all comments submitted on our website. We welcome comments which are relevant to the article and encourage further discussion about the issues that matter to you. We also welcome constructive criticism about Rudaw.

To be approved for publication, however, your comments must meet our community guidelines.

We will not tolerate the following: profanity, threats, personal attacks, vulgarity, abuse (such as sexism, racism, homophobia or xenophobia), or commercial or personal promotion.

Comments that do not meet our guidelines will be rejected. Comments are not edited – they are either approved or rejected.

Post a comment

Required
Required
 

The Latest

People arrive from al-Hol camp in eastern Syria by the new tent shelters at the Akbaran camp near Akhtarin, in the north of Aleppo province, on February 17, 2026. Photo: AFP

Syria closes al-Hol camp after relocating thousands of ISIS-linked families

Syrian authorities have closed the al-Hol camp in northeast Syria (Rojava) after transferring all of its residents, ending years of controversy surrounding the facility that housed families and relatives of suspected Islamic State (ISIS) fighters.