A fully veiled woman at the Kurdish-run Al Hol camp, which holds relatives of suspected ISIS group fighters in the north-eastern Hasakeh governorate. AFP
A fully veiled woman at the Kurdish-run Al Hol camp, which holds relatives of suspected ISIS group fighters in the north-eastern Hasakeh governorate. AFP
A fully veiled woman at the Kurdish-run Al Hol camp, which holds relatives of suspected ISIS group fighters in the north-eastern Hasakeh governorate. AFP
A fully veiled woman at the Kurdish-run Al Hol camp, which holds relatives of suspected ISIS group fighters in the north-eastern Hasakeh governorate. AFP

Six killed by ISIS in Syria's notorious Al Hol camp this month


  • English
  • Arabic

Six people, including four women, have been killed in Syria's Al Hol camp for displaced persons by ISIS in December, a British-based war monitor group said on Sunday.

The camp, which is controlled by the Kurdish-led autonomous administration in north-eastern Syria, houses about 62,000 displaced persons, including relatives of ISIS fighters.

About 93 per cent are women and children, and about half come from Iraq.

According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which has a wide network of sources in Syria, “six assassinations were committed” in the camp by terrorist cells since the start of December.

The last victim to date was shot dead on Saturday.

The victims include three Iraqis — two men and one woman — as well as two Syrian women and one woman whose identity is unknown, the observatory said.

Since the start of the year, the number of killings in the camp has been rising.

About 86 people have been killed, including 63 Iraqi refugees who resided in Al-Hol, according to the monitor's toll.

Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman warned that “chaos and insecurity persist within the camp”, calling it a “ticking time bomb” in comments to AFP.

In March, Kurdish-led authorities launched a major operation in the camp, during which they arrested 125 alleged ISIS members.

The UN has repeatedly warned of the deteriorating security conditions in Al Hol, where there have been breakout attempts in recent months.

Since the fall of ISIS's self-styled “caliphate” in March 2019, Syria's Kurds and the UN have repeatedly urged foreign countries to repatriate their citizens held in north-east Syria.

But most Western countries have refused to repatriate their citizens from the camp.

Calls by the Kurdish administration for the formation of international tribunals for the fighters have also been overlooked.

Milestones on the road to union

1970

October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar. 

December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.

1971

March 1:  Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.

July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.

July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.

August 6:  The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.

August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.

September 3: Qatar becomes independent.

November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.

November 29:  At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.

November 30: Despite  a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa. 

November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties

December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.

December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.

December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.

COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
%3Cp%3EName%3A%20DarDoc%3Cbr%3EBased%3A%20Abu%20Dhabi%3Cbr%3EFounders%3A%20Samer%20Masri%2C%20Keswin%20Suresh%3Cbr%3ESector%3A%20HealthTech%3Cbr%3ETotal%20funding%3A%20%24800%2C000%3Cbr%3EInvestors%3A%20Flat6Labs%2C%20angel%20investors%20%2B%20Incubated%20by%20Hub71%2C%20Abu%20Dhabi's%20Department%20of%20Health%3Cbr%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%2010%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Walls

Louis Tomlinson

3 out of 5 stars

(Syco Music/Arista Records)

The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.

Part three: an affection for classic cars lives on

Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative 

Read part one: how cars came to the UAE

Miss Granny

Director: Joyce Bernal

Starring: Sarah Geronimo, James Reid, Xian Lim, Nova Villa

3/5

(Tagalog with Eng/Ar subtitles)

Europe wide
Some of French groups are threatening Friday to continue their journey to Brussels, the capital of Belgium and the European Union, and to meet up with drivers from other countries on Monday.

Belgian authorities joined French police in banning the threatened blockade. A similar lorry cavalcade was planned for Friday in Vienna but cancelled after authorities prohibited it.

Getting there
Flydubai flies direct from Dubai to Tbilisi from Dh1,025 return including taxes

Bullet%20Train
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20David%20Leitch%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Brad%20Pitt%2C%20Aaron%20Taylor-Johnson%2C%20Brian%20Tyree%20Henry%2C%20Sandra%20Bullock%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Game Changer

Director: Shankar 

Stars: Ram Charan, Kiara Advani, Anjali, S J Suryah, Jayaram

Rating: 2/5

MATCH INFO

Azerbaijan 0

Wales 2 (Moore 10', Wilson 34')

Updated: December 19, 2021, 3:12 PM