Al-Hol Camp children: victims of ISIS ideology

On September 5th, the Internal Security Forces, the Internal Security Forces–Women in Northeast Syria, Women’s Protection Units, with support from the Syrian Democratic Forces and the International Coalition, launched the fourth phase of the "Humanitarian and Security" operation in and around al-Hol Camp.

This operation came in response to an increase in assaults within the camp targeting humanitarian organizations, as well as escape attempts by women and children affiliated with ISIS mercenaries residing in the camp.

The camp houses family members of ISIS mercenaries, numbering 6,352 women and children of foreign nationalities, located in "Jihadists women ” section.

This section is the primary focus of the fourth phase of the "Humanitarian and Security" operation, where ISIS women actively train children in the extremist ideology that excommunicates anyone who opposes it.

The influence of this ideology became evident during the security sweeps conducted by the forces. ANHA correspondents closely monitoring the operation reported that children of ISIS mercenaries categorically refused to be searched or have their information recorded by female fighters from the Women’s Protection Units and the Internal Security Forces–Women.

ANHA correspondents also noted that the participating forces set up a dedicated tent to document the records of residents in "Jihadist women” section women and children related to ISIS mercenaries. However, children under the age of 16 refused to have their data recorded by female fighters, due to the extremist ideology instilled in their minds by the women mercenaries in the camp.

Moreover, our correspondents highlighted that the mercenary children in this section were chanting ISIS slogans, making throat-slitting gestures, and threatening to kill, signaling the severe danger of cultivating a new generation of ISIS within the camp. This underscores the urgent need for a permanent and radical solution for these children by repatriating them to their countries, subjecting them to rehabilitation programs, and integrating them back into their original communities.

Officials overseeing the operation confirmed to our correspondents that ISIS women play a pivotal role in spreading ISIS ideology by instilling concepts of hostility and takfir in children’s minds, psychologically preparing them to become extensions of ISIS. This makes confronting this challenge a complex task requiring continuous security, ideological, and humanitarian efforts, especially given the camp’s thousands of residents from diverse nationalities, many of whom remain committed to ISIS ideology.

Military and security forces in Northeast Syria aim through these operations to mitigate the threat posed by the camp to the region and the world, by pursuing ISIS cells, preventing the smuggling of family members, and curbing attempts to spread extremist ideology among children and women within the camp

ANHA