Syria confirms mass escape of ISIL relatives from al-Hol camp

DAMASCUS

Syria has confirmed the mass escape of relatives of suspected ISIL members from the al-Hol camp last month following the withdrawal of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) who had overseen the facility.

"When our forces arrived, they found cases of collective escapes due to the camp having been opened up in a haphazard manner," Interior Ministry spokesman Noureddine al-Baba told a news conference.

Al-Hol, the largest camp for relatives of suspected ISIL jihadists in northeastern Syria, had been under the control of the SDF.

But last month, Syrian troops drove the SDF from swathes of the north, sparking questions over the fate of the ISIL prisoners and their families.

Under pressure, the SDF withdrew from the camp on Jan. 20, with Syrian security forces taking control a few hours later.

"The SDF withdrew suddenly, without coordination and without informing" the Syrian authorities or the international anti-jihadist coalition beforehand, al-Baba said.

There was a "chaotic situation" after the SDF pulled out, he said, adding that "more than 138 breaches" have been discovered in the camp's 17-kilometer (11-mile) perimeter wall that allowed mass escapes.

After the SDF withdrew, thousands of women and children fled the camp to parts unknown.

Al-Hol housed 23,500 people, mostly Syrian and Iraqis, the ministry spokesman said.

Around 6,500 foreigners of 44 different nationalities lived in a high-security section of the camp.

Last week, Syrian authorities moved the families still at al-Hol to another site in the country's north.

Before the SDF withdrew, the United States military had transferred more than 5,700 detained ISIL suspects from Syrian prisons to Iraq.

The US had previously announced it would transfer around 7,000 detainees.