AANES hands over woman and three children from ISIS families to Britain

The Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) received an official British delegation headed by Mary Shockledge, Deputy Director of the UK Office for Syria, accompanied by Niamh Connolly, Second Secretary for Political Affairs.

The delegation was received by Faner Kait, Co-Chair of the External Relations Department, along with Khaled Ibrahim, member of the Administrative Board; Rojhat Ali, Semalka Border Crossing Management Advisor; and Lana Hussein, representative of the Women's Protection Units (YPJ).

During the meeting, Faner Kait briefed the British delegation on the latest developments in the negotiations between the AANES and the Damascus government, the progress of the Kurdish-Kurdish dialogue, and the AANES's position on the AANES's constitutional declaration. He also affirmed the AANES's continued cooperation with the United Kingdom and all countries with citizens in its areas, particularly ISIS families.

For her part, Mary Shockledge welcomed the political dialogue efforts in Syria and emphasized the importance of the agreement signed between the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the Damascus government. She noted that the humanitarian and security situation in NE Syria remains dire, and that ISIS remains a real threat in Syria, Iraq, and other areas.

Shockledge affirmed the United Kingdom's commitment, as a member of the international coalition against ISIS, to continue working with its partners, especially the SDF, to ensure the long-term defeat of ISIS and to achieve justice and accountability for crimes committed in its name. She condemned terrorism and violent extremism in all its forms.

She also noted Britain's continued support for the humanitarian response in Syria, explaining that since the outbreak of the Syrian crisis, her country has provided more than £62 million in aid.

At the conclusion of the visit, a British woman and three children from ISIS families were handed over to the British delegation, pursuant to an official document signed between the Autonomous Administration and the United Kingdom.

Sh-S

ANHA