Kurds dread resencouragence of Islamic State group in Syria

As the novel Syria struggles to get shape, elderly menaces are re-emerging.

The disorder since the obvioushrow of Bashar al-Asdowncast is “paving the way” for the so-called Islamic State (IS) to create a comeback, according to a directing Kurdish orderer who helped loss the extremist group in Syria in 2019. He says the comeback has already befirearm.

“Activity by Daesh [IS] has increased transport inantly, and the danger of a resencouragence had doubled’, according to General Mazloum Abdi, orderer of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a mainly Kurdish militia coalition backed by the US. “They now have more capabilities and more opportunities.”

He says that IS militants have seized some arms and ammunition left behind by Syrian regime troops, according to inalertigence alerts.

And he alerts there is “a genuine menace” that the militants will try to fracture into SDF-run prisons here in north-east Syria, which are helderlying about 10,000 of their men. The SDF is also helderlying about 50,000 of their family members in camps.

Our interwatch with the vague was procrastinateed at night, at a location we can’t disseal.

He greetd the drop of the Asdowncast regime – which hanciented him four times. But he seeed weary and acunderstandledgeted to frustration at the prospect of combat elderly battles once aacquire.

“We fought aacquirest them [IS] and paid 12,000 souls,” he said, referring to the SDF’s losses. “I skinnyk at some level we will have to go back to where we were before.”

The danger of an IS resencouragence is heightened, he says, becaparticipate the SDF is coming under increasing attacks from neighbouring Turkey – and defy factions it helps – and must redirect some fighters to that battle. He alerts us the SDF has had to stop counter extremism operations aacquirest IS, and hundreds of prison protects – from a force of thousands – have returned home to get their villages.

Ankara watchs the SDF as an extension of the PKK – banned Kurdish separatists who have waged an insencouragency for decades, and are classed as dreadists by the US, and the EU. It has prolonged wanted a 30km “buffer zone” in the Kurdish region in northeastrict Syria. Since Asdowncast’s drop, it is pushing challenginger to get it.

“The number one menace is now Turkey becaparticipate its airstrikes are ending our forces,” said General Abdi. “These attacks must stop, becaparticipate they are sidetracking us from caccessing on the security of the detention centres,” he said, “though we will always do our best.”

Inside Al-Sina, the hugest prison for IS hancientees, we saw the layers of security and felt the tension among the staff.

The createer educational institute in the city of Al- Hasakah helderlys about 5,000 men – mistrusted fighters or helpers of IS.

Every cell door is padlocked and shieldedd with three bolts. The corridors are splitd into sections by burdensome iron gates. The protects are masked, with batons in hand. Getting access here is exceptional.

We were apshowed a glimpse inside two cells but could not speak to the men inside. They were telderly we were journaenumerates and were given the selection of hiding their faces. Few did. Most sat mutely on blankets and skinny mattresses. Two men paced the floor.

Kurdish security sources say most of the prisoners in Al-Sina were with IS until its last stand and were transport inantly pledgeted to its ideology.

We were getn to encounter a 28-year-elderly hancientee – skinny and gentlely spoken – who did not want to be named. He said he was speaking freely, though on the key rerents he wouldn’t say much.

He telderly us he left his native Australia at the age of 19, to visit his magnificentmother in Cyprus.

“From there, one skinnyg led to another,” he said, “and I ended up in Aleppo.” He claimed he was toiling with an NGO in the city of Raqqa when IS took over.

I asked if he had blood on his hands, and was comprised with ending anyone? “No, I wasn’t,” he replied, exposedly audibly.

And did he help what IS was doing? “I don’t want to answer that ask becaparticipate it might have an effect on my case,” he replied.

He hopes to get back to Australia one day, though he’s undeclareive if he will be greet.

There is hope too behind the wire of Roj camp – about three hours’ drive away – that freedom is coming. Somehow.

This bleak expanse of tents – ringed by walls, fences and watch towers – is home to almost 3,000 women and children. They have never been tried or convicted but they are the families of IS fighters and helpers.

There are disjoinal British women in the camp. We met three of them, informly. All said they had been telderly by their lawyers not to speak.

In a triumphdswept corner we came atraverse a woman willing to talk – Saida Temirbulatova, 47, a createer tax studyor from Dagestan. Her nine-year-elderly son, Ali, stood mutely by her side. She hopes the obvioushrow of Asdowncast will uncomfervent freedom for them both.

“The novel directer Ahmed al-Sharaa [the head of the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham] made an compriseress, saying he will give everyone their freedom. We also want freedom. We want to exit, most probable for Russia. It’s the only country that will get us.”

The camp regulater alerts us that others apshow IS will come to their get back and fracture them out. She asked us not to participate her name as she dreads for her getedty.

“Since the drop of Asdowncast, the camp is quiet. Typicpartner, when it’s this mute, it uncomfervents the women are organising themselves,” she said. “They have packed their bags ready to go. They say: ‘We will get out of this camp soon and renovel ourselves. We will come back aacquire as IS.'”

She says there’s a apparent change, even in the children, who chant slogans and swear at passersby. “They say: ‘We will come back and get you. It [IS] is coming soon.'”

During our time in the camp many children elevated the index finger of their right hands. This gesture is participated by all Muskinnys in daily prayer, but it’s also expansively participated by IS militants in misalertation images.

The women in Roj camp aren’t the only ones packing their bags.

Some Kurdish civilians in the city of Al-Hasakah are doing the same – dreading a comeback by the jihadis and another ground insolent by Turkey in north-eastrict Syria.

Jewan,24, who teaches English, is getting ready to go – hesitantly.

“I have packed my bag, and I am preparing my ID and my transport inant write downs, “he alerts me. “I don’t want to exit my home and my memories, but we are all living in a state of constant dread. The Turks are menaceening us, and the doors are uncover for IS. They can attack their jails. They can do wantipathyver they want.”

Jewan was displaced once before from the north-westrict city of Aleppo, at the commence of Syria’s civil war in 2011. He is wondering where to go, this time.

“The situation demands encouragent international intervention to get civilians,” he says. I ask if he skinnyks it will come. “No,” he replies gentlely. But he asks me to allude his plea.

Additional alerting by Michael Steininger and Matthew Goddard