ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Two orphaned children have been abducted from al-Hol camp in northeast Syria (Rojava) by “terrorists” posing as internal security forces (Asayish), the Kurdish force said late on Monday, adding they have also stolen money from camp residents.
“Terrorist groups and sleeper cells at al-Hol camp, wearing military uniform similar to ours, have paralyzed the residents of the camp, stolen their money and defrauded them, claiming that they are affiliated to our forces,” read a statement from the Asayish, which added that Ruqiah Mohammed, 4, and Samar Mohammed, 3 were abducted by the groups.
“We are monitoring and investigating the movements of these groups and they will be arrested soon,” it added.
Al-Hol is home to nearly 60,000 people, mostly women and children with suspected links to Islamic State (ISIS) militants. The SDF and Asayish launched an operation in late March targeting ISIS sleeper cells after a spate of murders in the camp, arresting more than 150 people.
Concerns have been repeatedly raised about the fragile security situation in the camp, particularly for children - prompting calls for foreign countries to repatriate their nationals, which have mostly fallen on deaf ears.
Earlier this month, Rojava authorities handed over two Palestinian orphans to the Palestinian consulate in Erbil. Albania repatriated 20 orphans from al-Hol in July.
Human rights groups have previously warned of squalid conditions in the camp, described as “filthy and often inhuman” by Human Rights Watch.
Last year, children in al-Hol told Save the Children of their fear of being killed in the camp.
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