Head of US troops in Middle East visits al-Hol camp in Rojava

Karwan Faidhi Dri
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The head of the US Central Command (CENTCOM) made his first public visit to the notorious al-Hol camp in northeast Syria (Rojava) on Friday as Kurdish forces continue raids against the Islamic State (ISIS) sleeper cells inside the camp. The American commander warned against the radicalization of children and the deteriorating humanitarian conditions of all residents.

General Michael "Erik" Kurilla, who took over the CENTCOM leadership in April, said during a hearing at the Senate Armed Service Committee in February that once he assumes the position he will assist the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in the repatriation of foreign ISIS-linked detainees currently held in al-Hol camp in Hasaka city, adding that his main concern was the indoctrination taking place in the camp.   

The US commander made his first public visit to the notorious camp on Friday, accompanied by the SDF General Commander Mazloum Abdi. General Kurilla once again called on countries to repatriate their nationals and warned that the children could be radicalised by ISIS sleeper cells at the camp.

“The SDF mission to clear ISIS from the camp continues. This is a critical, wide-ranging operation which will make the camp safer for all residents,” the American General said in a statement late Friday.  

“We’ve already seen ISIS members holding women and girls enslaved in chains inside the camp, torturing camp residents, and seeking to spread their vile ideology. Most of the residents seek to escape ISIS, but ISIS sees the camp as a captive audience for its message and recruitment efforts. It is therefore urgent that we repatriate residents back to their countries of origin and rehabilitate them if needed,” he added. 

About 56,000 people live in al-Hol camp, with 90 percent of them being women and children. Many of them are families of ISIS fighters. 

General Kurilla stated that nearly 80 children are born in the camp each month and about 70 percent of the population is under the age of 12, warning that “this place is a literal breeding ground for the next generation of ISIS… These young people are vulnerable to radicalization given their very poor quality of life.”

The US commander also warned about the deteriorating humanitarian condition in the camp. 

ISIS controlled swathes of Syrian and Iraqi land in 2014 but was territorially defeated in both countries by 2019. However, the group continues posing threats to Iraqi and Kurdish forces.

The CENTCOM commander oversees US military missions in the Middle East, central, and southern Asia.

General Kenneth McKenzie, former head of CENTCOM, had also expressed his concern over the radicalization of al-Hol residents by ISIS. 

There have been murder incidents in the camp, especially targeting Iraqis who make up more than half of the camp. 

General Kurilla commended Iraq for its “real progress” in the repatriation of its nationals but said that “there’s a need to accelerate this progress. Should Iraq repatriate, rehabilitate, and reintegrate its citizens, the problem would immediately become much more manageable.”

Baghdad has repatriated a significant number of its nationals from al-Hol, settling them in a camp in Nineveh province. 

The SDF has recently carried out an operation inside al-Hol camp, arresting dozens of ISIS suspects. Two Kurdish fighters were also killed during the raids on Thursday. 

Around 10,000 suspected ISIS fighters are held in prisons in Rojava, guarded by the SDF with the assistance of the US-led anti-ISIS coalition.