In January 2022, the world was on edge as Russia massed its forces in Ukraine. While the global community speculated about the possibility of a full-scale invasion, it went largely unnoticed that a jihadist organization in northern Syria had driven a car loaded with explosives into the walls of Hasaka prison and launched an attack to free ISIS members from their cells.
The battle lasted for ten days and resulted in more than 500 people killed. Despite this setback, the Syrian Kurdish forces managed to gain control of the situation. However, this uprising in Hasaka prison highlights the ongoing problem of ISIS jihadists who are still being held in prisons in northeastern Syria. According to the Washington Institute, thousands of ISIS fighters are still incarcerated, and they continue to pose a significant threat to both Iraq and Syria.
In December 2021, there were over 46,000 people living in the Al-Holi camp, with approximately 94% being women and children. The camp is maintained by the Syrian Kurdish SDF but lives largely in anarchy due to a strong presence of ISIS and scarce resources like food and clean water. Diseases spread easily within the camp, and there are allegations of torture and abuse against prisoners.
Repatriation efforts have been slow, with most campers being Iraqis and Syrians. The process involves adapting newcomers to Iraqi society after years of living in camps. Human rights organizations like Amnesty International have described the situation as unacceptable and have called for corrective actions to be taken immediately. While some repatriation efforts have begun, progress has been slow, and living conditions remain dire within these camps.
The ongoing situation at Al-Holi highlights how much work remains to be done when it comes to defeating ISIS once and for all. With thousands of jihadists still imprisoned in northeastern Syria, it is clear that this fight will not be won overnight. It will take time, effort, and cooperation from governments around the world if we want to put an end to this dangerous organization’s reign of terror once and for all.
Overall, while there may be some progress made towards defeating ISIS through repatriation efforts or military operations against their hideouts, there is still much work that needs to be done before we can say that this conflict has truly come to an end. As such, it is important that we continue working together towards a common goal of ensuring peace and stability in both Iraq and Syria while also addressing broader issues related to terrorism globally.
In conclusion, while Russia’s actions during January 2022 were closely monitored by international leaders worldwide; what happened at Hasaka prison was largely overlooked but just as critical if not more so than what happened on Russian borders – It serves as a stark reminder that even after years of fighting against terrorism groups like ISIS