Skip to main content

Killings on the rise in Syria's al-Hol camp

There were far more deaths than usual in the camp for Islamic State families in January amid calls from the United Nations and Kurdish forces for countries to take back their citizens.
People walk among tents at the Kurdish-run al-Hol camp which holds suspected relatives of Islamic State (IS) group fighters, in the northeastern Syrian Hasakeh governorate, on February 17, 2021. (Photo by Delil SOULEIMAN / AFP) (Photo by DELIL SOULEIMAN/AFP via Getty Images)

There was a deadly uptick in violence in the notorious al-Hol camp in northeast Syria last month.

A total of 20 men and women were killed in the camp for Islamic State (IS) families in January. The killings included deadly shootings of a local official and a policeman, as well as the beheading of an Iraqi man. This constitutes nearly triple the average number of murders in the camp per month, The Associated Press reported on Thursday.

Access the Middle East news and analysis you can trust

Join our community of Middle East readers to experience all of Al-Monitor, including 24/7 news, analyses, memos, reports and newsletters.

Subscribe

Only $100 per year.