Syria: Asayish launches anti-ISIS raid in al-Hol camp

Shafaq News – Damascus

The Kurdish Internal Security Forces (Asayish) launched a new operation on Friday in al-Hol camp, eastern Hasakah, to dismantle ISIS-linked cells and restore order.

The camp holds between 40,000 and 50,000 people—primarily displaced Syrians and Iraqis from ISIS-linked families—within a setting long described as a breeding ground for extremism amid ongoing security warnings.

In a statement, Asayish said the campaign—backed by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the US-led Global Coalition—follows a surge of violence in recent months, including more than 30 attacks that targeted humanitarian workers and damaged critical infrastructure, disrupting aid delivery for thousands.

According to Asayish, the operation aims to dismantle extremist networks, prevent militants from regaining influence, and block attempts to revive ISIS’s “Cubs of the Caliphate” program, which allegedly uses women to indoctrinate and recruit children. The campaign also focuses on protecting aid organizations, reinforcing camp security, and coordinating with humanitarian groups and local communities to safeguard facilities and counter renewed terrorist activity.

Asayish stressed that the campaign builds on earlier operations that curbed ISIS activity within al-Hol. The statement emphasized that “human security is a red line,” underscoring the need to preserve stability as a foundation for humanitarian relief and the protection of residents.