Syria’s Roj camp crackdown: SDF targets ISIS resurgence

Shafaq News/ The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have launched a large-scale security operation in Roj Camp, northeast Syria, that targeted ISIS sleeper cells, a source from the Internal Security Forces (Asayish) revealed on Saturday.

“The operation was prompted by intelligence indicating efforts by ISIS operatives to regroup within displacement camps in Al-Hasakah province,” the source told Shafaq News, noting the increased activity by ISIS cells within camps housing the families of its members, including Roj and Al-Hol.

Meanwhile, the Women’s Internal Security Forces, supported by the Women’s Protection Units (YPJ), confirmed that ISIS-affiliated individuals in Roj Camp were behind several violent incidents, including the murder of a woman and a child, physical assaults, and threats against residents rejecting extremist ideology.

The unit described the violence as “part of ISIS’s broader strategy to revive its networks inside and beyond the camp.”

The forces also reported that multiple preemptive raids had already thwarted planned attacks and disrupted the group’s operations, asserting, “Our campaign is focused on eliminating these cells and restoring security.”

Roj Camp, located near Derik city, currently shelters 28 Iraqi families, 13 Syrian families, and more than 2,500 foreign nationals—most of them children. The camp primarily houses families of ISIS members.

In February, 45 Iraqi families—184 individuals—were repatriated from Roj Camp to Al-Jadaa Camp in Mosul, Iraq, marking the first such relocation since 2018.