ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - A senior official in the Kurdish-led administration governing northeast Syria (Rojava) warned on Sunday that escalating fighting with Damascus-affiliated forces risks triggering an Islamic State (ISIS) resurgence and endangering camps holding thousands of families linked to the extremist group.
Sheikhmous Ahmed, who oversees camps for internally displaced people (IDPs) and refugees in Rojava, said in a statement that “the war facing the region is dangerously paving the way for the resurgence of ISIS under different names,” warning of “a serious and direct threat to the camps in North and East Syria, particularly al-Hol Camp and Roj Camp, which host thousands of families of the ISIS terrorist organization.”
The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) are responsible for securing the two main camps housing ISIS remnants in Rojava, al-Hol, and Roj.
Al-Hol, located in Hasaka province, holds nearly 25,000 people with alleged ISIS ties and has long been notorious for dire living conditions and entrenched radicalization, earning a reputation as a potential incubator for extremism. Iraqis and Syrians make up the majority of residents, alongside thousands of foreign nationals who joined ISIS or lived under its rule. The camp previously housed around 60,000 people. Roj Camp accommodates families deemed less dangerous than those held at al-Hol.
Ahmed warned that “the continued military operations by factions affiliated with the Damascus government threaten to destabilize security not only at the local level, but also pose a danger to civil peace and regional stability,” citing the fragile conditions inside camps and prisons holding ISIS members. He described the situation as a potential “large-scale security explosion, like a ticking time bomb.”
He also cautioned that continued instability could lead to the “suspension or complete halt” of humanitarian operations by international organizations, further worsening “humanitarian suffering and place thousands of civilians - especially women and children - at risk.”
Ahmed called on the international community, the United Nations, and human rights organizations to “act urgently to put an end to this chaos, stop the military actions that threaten the stability of the region, prevent the exploitation of the state of disorder to revive terrorist organizations, and ensure the protection of civilians and the continuation of humanitarian work.”
The warning comes after the Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (DAANES) on Sunday announced a state of “general mobilization” in support of the SDF and the Women’s Protection Units (YPJ), citing what it described as “an existential war” launched by Damascus and allied militant groups in violation of an internationally mediated truce.
The remarks also follow accusations by the SDF on Saturday that Syrian government forces and affiliated factions attacked its positions as fighters were preparing to withdraw from Deir Hafer and Maskanah in eastern Aleppo, as well as from the Thawra oil field near Tabqa, a former Islamic State stronghold in the Raqqa countryside.
Sheikhmous Ahmed, who oversees camps for internally displaced people (IDPs) and refugees in Rojava, said in a statement that “the war facing the region is dangerously paving the way for the resurgence of ISIS under different names,” warning of “a serious and direct threat to the camps in North and East Syria, particularly al-Hol Camp and Roj Camp, which host thousands of families of the ISIS terrorist organization.”
The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) are responsible for securing the two main camps housing ISIS remnants in Rojava, al-Hol, and Roj.
Al-Hol, located in Hasaka province, holds nearly 25,000 people with alleged ISIS ties and has long been notorious for dire living conditions and entrenched radicalization, earning a reputation as a potential incubator for extremism. Iraqis and Syrians make up the majority of residents, alongside thousands of foreign nationals who joined ISIS or lived under its rule. The camp previously housed around 60,000 people. Roj Camp accommodates families deemed less dangerous than those held at al-Hol.
Ahmed warned that “the continued military operations by factions affiliated with the Damascus government threaten to destabilize security not only at the local level, but also pose a danger to civil peace and regional stability,” citing the fragile conditions inside camps and prisons holding ISIS members. He described the situation as a potential “large-scale security explosion, like a ticking time bomb.”
He also cautioned that continued instability could lead to the “suspension or complete halt” of humanitarian operations by international organizations, further worsening “humanitarian suffering and place thousands of civilians - especially women and children - at risk.”
Ahmed called on the international community, the United Nations, and human rights organizations to “act urgently to put an end to this chaos, stop the military actions that threaten the stability of the region, prevent the exploitation of the state of disorder to revive terrorist organizations, and ensure the protection of civilians and the continuation of humanitarian work.”
The warning comes after the Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (DAANES) on Sunday announced a state of “general mobilization” in support of the SDF and the Women’s Protection Units (YPJ), citing what it described as “an existential war” launched by Damascus and allied militant groups in violation of an internationally mediated truce.
The remarks also follow accusations by the SDF on Saturday that Syrian government forces and affiliated factions attacked its positions as fighters were preparing to withdraw from Deir Hafer and Maskanah in eastern Aleppo, as well as from the Thawra oil field near Tabqa, a former Islamic State stronghold in the Raqqa countryside.
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