European Union officials have warned about new security risks after a mass escape from Syria’s al-Hol camp. The large camp held thousands of relatives of suspected Islamic State fighters before it was emptied and closed.
Syrian Interior Ministry spokesperson Noureddine al-Baba said authorities found at least 133 breaches after government forces took control of al-Hol on January 21.
The takeover happened during clashes with the Kurdish led Syrian Democratic Forces which had guarded the camp for years. He said it was still not clear how many people escaped.
Noureddine al-Baba, Interior Ministry spokesperson said that “We observed cases of mass escape.”
The camp held 23,407 people the day before the takeover. This included 6,280 foreigners from more than 40 nationalities.
Syrian officials have also put the figure at about 23,500 residents mostly women and children and said there were about 6,500 people from 44 other countries.
It said this triggered the escape of a large part of the camp’s population. The memo said it was still unclear what happened to foreign nationals who fled. It also warned extremist groups could try to use the situation to increase recruitment.
The Syrian government has blamed the SDF for leaving al-Hol on January 20 without coordination. The SDF has said it was forced to pull back as areas around nearby cities came under threat. Fighting later stopped after a ceasefire was reached last month.
With al-Hol now closed, Syrian authorities have moved many residents to the Akhtarin camp in Aleppo province, Syrian officials said. Others have been sent back to Iraq.
Damascus says it will detain anyone proven to have committed crimes and it is still in contact with foreign governments about what to do with their citizens.
The EU memo also raised concerns about the Roj camp which is still under SDF control and holds families of suspected Islamic State members.
The SDF last week released 34 Australian nationals from Roj but they later returned. It also said Australia has ruled out helping families of Islamic State militants come home.
