QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – Turkey targeted on Wednesday the “ticking bomb” Hawl Camp east of Hasakah, northeast Syria that threats with a big disaster that may blow up at any time in the view of increasing escalation by Turkey that aims at destabilizing the region through recent airstrikes and threats to launch a military ground operation.
A Turkish fighter jet bombed Wednesday evening a position for fighters of the Internal Security Forces of North and East Syria (Asayish) near Hawl Camp which holds thousands of the families of the Islamic State’s (ISIS) militants, amid concerns that some ISIS women fled the camp.
A source in the camp’s management told North Press that a warplane targeted with three airstrikes al-Toghaji area, where several oil wells are situated and is only a few kilometers away from the camp.
It added that the Turkish strikes, which sparked chaos inside the camp, targeted positions of the Asayish members who are tasked with guarding and protecting the camp.
Ferhad Shami, head of Media Center of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) tweeted that the Turkish warplanes targeted the Asayish that protect the camp.
Hawl, known as ticking bomb, is the most dangerous camp in northeast Syria where thousands of ISIS family members of different nationalities are held.
Shami added, that the Asayish “arrested 6 members of ISIS families, including 3 women, who escaped earlier” from camp.
This came in a time when the SDF announced yesterday evening the suspension of its operations against ISIS, being preoccupied “with addressing the Turkish occupation.”
Most dangerous internationally
In September, the Asayish aborted an attack by a sleeper cell of the ISIS in Hawl Camp.
On September 22, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) commented on the incident and praised the SDF’s “immediate action.”
The camp, the most dangerous in the world, witnesses kidnappings and killings in its sectors.
Exploiting threats
In a report publicized by North Press in July, ISIS women at the Hawl revealed that a Turkish relief organization helped them escape from the camp in turn for thousands US dollars to reach Syrian areas under Turkey.
In another report on June 10 by North Press, residents of Derik (al-Malkiyah) and its countryside, as well as all regions of northeastern Syria, voiced concern that in case Turkey launches a new military operation in the region, this will give the ISIS prisoners and camps’ residents of ISIS family members in Roj and Hawl camps an opportunity to escape.
Hundreds of ISIS women and children have lived in Roj Camp since the military defeat of ISIS in Syria in 2019.
According to the administration of Roj Camp, women of the ISIS members keep trying to escape from the camp by communicating with smugglers, as all these attempts have been thwarted.
The administration stressed that 80% of the women are waiting for Turkey to launch an attack on the area, so they can manage to flee the camp, reorganize themselves and join ISIS.