{"id":78267,"date":"2022-05-29T07:30:09","date_gmt":"2022-05-29T07:30:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/npasyria.com\/en\/?p=78267"},"modified":"2022-05-29T07:30:09","modified_gmt":"2022-05-29T07:30:09","slug":"iraqis-in-hawl-camp-afraid-of-ongoing-killings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/npasyria.com\/en\/78267\/","title":{"rendered":"Iraqis in Hawl Camp afraid of ongoing killings"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

HASAKAH, Syria (North Press) \u2013<\/strong> While an Iraqi refugee woman was talking, covering her face with a black scarf that only shows her eyes, about the situation in Hawl Camp, another woman pulled the scarf over the refugee\u2019s face in an attempt to hide her eyes in order to make sure that she will be unknown.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The woman, who lives in the third sector of Iraqi refugees, said that the main feature of the camp is \u201cfear, terror and hunger.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite all the security measures followed in the camp by the International Security Forces of North and East Syria (Asayish), affiliated with the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES), sleeper cells of the Islamic State Organization (ISIS) are still committing murders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The AANES 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 militarily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The camp’s residents, especially the Iraqis, fear the deterioration of the security situation, because ISIS cells often attack them in the sector that they live in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Iraqi refugee who is from Saladin Governorate, said that several women sleep in one tent due to fear, indicating the bad conditions in the camp.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe live in hunger, fear, terror and need. We can be attacked at any moment during night since there are many mafia gangs in the camp. We cannot distinguish friend from foe,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hawl Camp, 45 km east of the city of Hasakah, houses 56,775 people, the majority of them are Iraqis. While thousands of wives and children of foreign ISIS members and detainees live in a special section within the camp.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe camp is a hell\u201d<\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Since the beginning of this year, there have been 17 killings, nine of which were against Syrians, including an employee of the Kurdish Red Crescent Organization, and eight against Iraqis, according to a source in the camp.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite the dramatic increase of the crimes inside the camp, many countries ignore the issue of repatriating their nationals. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another Iraqi refugee spoke about the horror that they live in the camp, saying “we are dying of fear; we can no longer bear it.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDue to killing and looting in the camp, we stay in tents and cannot go out to any other place from sunset till sunrise,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In light of this situation, the Iraqi refugees are demanding their government to expedite their return to their countries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBureaucratic procedures\u201d<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

On March, an Iraqi delegation visited<\/a> northeastern Syria in coordination with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) with the purpose of establishing a mechanism to identify the families that are allowed to return to Iraq.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since the beginning of 2019 until 2021, the AANES handed over 995 children and women who are members of ISIS foreigners to their countries, according to official statistic. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Three weeks following the visit, Abbas stressed Iraq\u2019s keenness to return all its nationals from the camp, regardless of their affiliation with ISIS, as there will be security and judicial institutions that will take charge of their affairs.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the same day, vice-president of the AANES Department of Foreign Relations, Fanar al-Gait told North Press, \u201cThree years ago, an Iraqi delegation visited northeast Syria and called for a cooperation to repatriate 32,000 Iraqi refugees from the camps and the Iraqi members of ISIS families.\u201d  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Al-Gait pointed out that measures were delayed due to bureaucratic procedures and reasons related to the Iraqi authorities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 <\/strong>\u201cWe live in terror\u201d <\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Umm Muhammad, an Iraqi refugee, expressed the state of anxiety, saying “In one day we die a hundred times from fear, we are afraid about our lives and our children. We live in terror and fear as the night comes, and no man is with us.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“There is no safety, stability or peace of mind in the camp. We hope that they will bring us back to our country,” Umm Muhammad added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On March 28, the Asayish, with the support of the SDF, launched a security campaign to search for the perpetrators of the murders inside the camp.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

During the campaign, which lasted about a week, 125 members of ISIS sleeper cells were arrested, 20 of whom were responsible for the cells and assassinations that took place in the camp.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Military supplies and electronic circuits used in preparing explosive devices were also found, according to a statement issued by Asayish then.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reporting by Jindar Abdulqader<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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