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The forces of the Islamist-led Syrian Transitional Government (STG) took over the al-Hawl refugee camp after breaking through the defenses of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in the eastern countryside of al-Hasakah in the northeast of the country.
The fenced camp, located in the outskirts of a town with the same name, hosts over 25,000 people, most of whom are relatives of ISIS members.
Initially, the state-run SANA news agency reported, citing a military source, that the SDF abandoned al-Hawl, releasing everyone who was there. Later, the group issued a statement clarifying that its fighters were forced to withdraw from the camp.
“Due to the international community’s indifferent stance towards the ISIS issue and its failure to assume its responsibilities in addressing this serious matter, our forces were forced to withdraw from the al-Hawl camp and redeploy to the vicinity of northern Syrian cities that are exposed to increasing risks and threats,” the SDF said in a statement.
The STG responded with a statement of its own, holding the SDF responsible for the situation in al-Hawl, and stressing that “it will not allow any security vacuum that threatens the safety of the region.”
The government also urged the United States to pressure the group into handing over all facilities with ISIS detainees in northeastern Syria.
Videos posted online show people in the camp greeting government troops, and according to some unverified reports, more than a thousand of them have already fled.
STG forces didn’t stop in al-Hawl, but pushed further north, reaching the Ya’rubiyah crossing on the border with Iraq. According to preliminary information, Arab tribes in the eastern al-Hasakah countryside started an uprising as government forces were advancing, and the two are now working to expel the SDF from the entire region.
The situation in other directions in al-Hasakah was more in favor of the SDF, with the group announcing that its fighters repelled an attack near Tell Barud in the governorate’s western countryside.
The SDF also released videos showing a series of drone attacks that targeted government troops and equipment in al-Hasakah and other governorates in northeastern Syria. Most of the attacks took place in the last 24 hours, but some are from days earlier.
In Raqqa, the SDF said that its fighter repelled another attack by government forces on al-Aqttan Prison. This came despite reports suggesting that an agreement on the withdrawal of Kurdish fighters from the prison, which is located in the northeastern outskirts of the city of Raqqa, was reached, with some pro-government activists even claiming that some fighters were evacuated.
Amid all of this, thousands of people gathered around the prison with the intention to break in and free all the detainees.
The facility, which hosts ISIS detainees, is very much among the last positions under the control of the SDF in the entire governorate.
In Aleppo, specifically the eastern countryside of the governorate, STG forces launched more attacks in the direction of the town of Kobani. Intense clashes were reported mainly near the Qere Qozaq bridge on the Euphrates River. The SDF appears to be still in control in this direction, but Kobani, located right on the border with Turkey, is very much besieged.
With the January 18 merger agreement failing in under 24 hours, the STG appears to be eyeing a complete military victory in northeastern Syria.
If the situation continues to develop in favor of the government, Kurdish forces could soon end up fighting in isolated pockets in Kurdish-majority areas, like Kobani, the city of al-Hasakah, and possibly the town of al-Qamishli, which is located on Turkey’s border in the northern al-Hasakah countryside.
The U.S. has so far shown no interest whatsoever in protecting the SDF, which was its top ally in Syria. With no intervention, the group will likely be defeated.
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al jolani’s forces have already reached 2 border crossings with iraq. rojava is kaput.
one of the videos is a rubikon video from ukraine
those kurds trusted uncle sam and schlomo. ha ha ha ha ha.
terrorists freeing their terrorist brothers in arms.
well, well, well. us envoy tom barrack says: “the sdf’s original anti-isis mission has ended, as washington backs kurdish integration into the syrian state.”
i would called it al-jolani’s islamo-wahhabi syrian state.
all those isis militants that russia and iran assisted in jailing are now free to attack iran. timing ?
turkey,israil,usa,russia
they share syria among themselves.
trumprapidresponse team is working hard.