QAMISHLI, Syria — A picture shared by Kurdish activists and journalists from Syria has opened widespread discussion of the fate of Syrian prisoners of war. The picture, which first appeared March 9, shows a female fighter from the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) tending to the wounds of a member of the Islamic State captured by the Kurds following battles in the countryside of al-Shadadi town in the province of Hasakah, northeastern Syria.
Since June 2014, military clashes between the YPG and IS have expanded and many IS fighters and members have been captured by the Kurds. Despite the need to deal with the issue, some Kurdish officials have shown great reluctance to state how many have been caught.