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ERBIL, Kurdistan Region —Two Iraqi refugees were found shot dead in northeast Syria's al-Hol camp on Monday, camp authorities told Hawar News Agency (ANHA).
Ayman Raed and Abdullah Ragheb, both 21, were found dead on Monday morning, camp administrators told ANHA, which is affiliated to the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
Security forces told ANHA that Islamic State (ISIS) sleeper cells in the camp were behind the killings.
Al-Hol, the largest camp in Syria, is home to 61,000 people – many of whom have suspected links to ISIS. A spate of killings have rocked the camp this year, particularly among Iraqi refugees, prompting some countries to expand repatriations for children in al-Hol amid the worsening security situation. UNICEF has also called for all children to be repatriated from the camp.
A total of 42 people have been killed in the camp this year, ANHA claimed.
A Doctors Without Borders (MSF) staff member was found dead in the camp in February, the organisation announced earlier this month, saying 30 people have been killed in the camp so far this year.
“The authorities have a responsibility to provide people with safety and security at all times,” said Will Turner, MSF’s Emergency Manager. “This is not a safe environment and certainly not a suitable place for children to grow up in. This nightmare must stop.“
Earlier this year, Iraq’s deputy minister of migration Karim Al-Nouri said "al-Hol camp refugees are considered a danger and the possibility of their return to Iraq has not been discussed.”
The UN released a joint statement on the deteriorating security at al-Hol on January 21, stating "the rise in violence among the camp population not only represents a tragic loss of life, it also jeopardizes the ability for the UN and humanitarian partners to continue to safely deliver critical humanitarian assistance and services to residents."
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