One dead, at least two injured in Syria’s al-Hol camp

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — One person was killed and at least two others were injured in Syria’s al-Hol camp in the first incident of its sort since a wide security sweep against Islamic State (ISIS) sleeper cells in the camp.

An Iraqi refugee’s body was found in the first section of al-Hol camp on Saturday, Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported claiming that the assassination was conducted by ISIS sleeper cells. 

The observatory also added that two Iraqi women were also injured during the assassination.

According to Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) affiliated media outlet North Press Agency (NPA), the murdered Iraqi refugee, who went by the name of Abu Saif, was shot multiple times in the head, abdomen, and leg.

NPA added that two Iraqi women and one female Syrian IDP were also shot in the process.

The killing of the Iraqi man is the first killing incident since Asayish forces in cooperation with the SDF and the Women’s Protection Units (YPJ) conducted a security campaign inside the camp against ISIS sleeper cells. The large scale operation was launched late March, following a spate of murders in the camp.

The Asayish security forces on April 2 announced they had made 125 arrests in a five-day operation, with the SDF announcing another 31 arrests the following week.

Al-Hol houses an estimated 61,000 people from dozens of countries, the majority of whom are family members of suspected ISIS fighters. 

The insecurity in the camp and recent murders "reflect a persistent threat from ISIS and its criminal affiliates to innocent civilians in al-Hol, which places an increased burden on our local partners to maintain security within the camp," the acting US special envoy to the coalition John Godfrey said late last month.  

Nearly half the camp’s residents, more than 30,000, are Iraqis, according to data provided to Rudaw English by Sheikhmus Ahmed, who supervises the administration of Rojava’s IDP and refugee camps.

Iraq has resisted repatriating its nationals because of security concerns around bringing suspected ISIS members home, but a plan is now in the works to send 500 families back to Iraq in a phased operation.