ISIS kills 250 civilians in Syria in 2023
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – 253 civilians including 27 children and 10 women were killed and 126 others were injured by militants of the Islamic State group (ISIS) in Syria in 2023, the Monitoring and Documentation Department of North Press recorded.
ISIS militants carried out over 233 attacks in 2023, 46 of which targeted civilians, 103 targeted the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), 66 were against the Syrian government forces, and 18 targeted Iranian-backed militias.
Mushroom pickers were among the prominent civilian casualties of ISIS attacks with a toll of 176 civilians, killing 142 including 137 men and eight women, and injuring 34 others.
The most targeted governorates were Deir ez-Zor in eastern Syria with 104 attacks, Homs in central Syria with 48 attacks, and Raqqa in northern Syria with 36 attacks.
Although the SDF and the U.S.-led Global Coalition announced in March 2019 that they defeated ISIS, several areas in Syria witnessed attacks by the extremist group over the past year, resulting in the killing and injury of hundreds of civilians.
The Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) consistently warns of the ongoing threat of ISIS, stating that Turkish attacks in northern Syria create a real opportunity for the ISIS to gain control of new areas.
During the latest Turkish airstrikes, al-Sinaa Prison in the city of Hasakah in northeastern Syria, that houses thousands of ISIS militants, faced a missile attack.
Additionally, the Hawl Camp in northeastern Syria experienced an insurrection by the wives of detained ISIS militants.
The SDF and Internal Security Forces of North and East Syria (Asayish) announced on Saturday the start of a third phase of a security campaign targeting ISIS cells in the Hawl Camp that is considered one of the most dangerous camps in the world.