Syria’s Autonomous Administration hands over ISIS children to Albania
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – On Friday, the Department of Foreign Relations of the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) handed over a number of women and children of the families of the Islamic State Organization (ISIS) fighters to an Albanian delegation that visited the region.
Fener al-Ka’t, Deputy Co-Presidency of the Department of Foreign Relations of the AANES, said in a statement to North Press that they handed over nine children and four women of Albanian nationality to the delegation according to an official document.
The website of the Department of Foreign Relations stated that a joint delegation from the Republic of Albania and Kosovo visited the AANES-held areas on May 21.
The delegation discussed with representatives of the Department of Foreign Relations in the city of Qamishli, northeastern Syria, the security and economic challenges facing the AANES.
The Autonomous Administration was first formed in 2014 in the Kurdish-majority regions of Afrin, Kobani and Jazira in northern Syria following the withdrawal of the government forces. Later, it was expanded to Manbij, Tabqa, Raqqa, Hasakah and Deir ez-Zor after the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) defeated ISIS military.
The two parties discussed the recent Turkish threats to invade the region and its repercussions.
In July 2021, the AANES handed over 19 Albanians, 14 children and five women, of ISIS members to their country.
After the defeat of ISIS in its final stronghold in Syria in 2019, thousands of ISIS fighters were transferred to prisons, while their families were transferred to Hawl and Roj camps in northeast Syria.
ISIS families hail of more than 60 nationalities, constituting an ongoing and challenging issue on the non-internationally recognized AANES.
Though the AANES repeatedly calls on relevant countries to repatriate their nationals, these countries neglect this issue and refuse to repatriate the nationals.