By Samah Abdul Fattah | 2025-10-01

Security forces in al-Hol camp are intensifying efforts to stop escape attempts by families linked to the "Islamic State of Iraq and Syria" (ISIS), a mission experts say is vital for safeguarding civilians in Syria and neighboring countries.

The group’s leadership has largely abandoned the camp’s residents, as seen in the latest failed mass escape.

On September 2, security forces affiliated with the Kurdish Autonomous Administration in northeastern Syria announced they had foiled an attempt by 56 ISIS family members to flee the camp using a large vehicle.

Extensive operations

Security operations inside the camp are ongoing and extensive, said Roshan Kobani, a member of the Women’s Protection Units (YPJ) stationed at al-Hol camp.

"Surveillance operations inside the camp are very precise and stringent, and are carried out by hundreds of security personnel, in addition to electronic monitoring via a large network of cameras that detect any suspicious movements," she said.

"This enabled the security forces to uncover the recent escape attempt by 56 camp residents," she told Al-Fassel.

Kobani said that early investigations show ISIS leaders have left detainees to fend for themselves.

"The planning was very primitive, with one of the truck drivers supplying food to the camp enticed with money to get the escapees out in his vehicle," she added.

She emphasized that protecting al-Hol is not just about local security.

"The political and military leadership in the regions of north and east Syria is working on the premise that maintaining the security of the camp preserves the security of Syria and neighboring countries," Kobani said.

Decline in ISIS’s capabilities

Analysts say the thwarted escape at al-Hol reflects both ISIS’s weakness and the determination of Kurdish security forces to prevent the group from rebuilding.

Kurdish forces, with support from US forces, continue to play a central role in weakening ISIS, said Syrian journalist Muhammed al-Abdullah.

"The role played by the Kurdish forces, with all their security and military branches, and supported by US forces, is crucial and central, and has led to the expulsion of ISIS from the region and putting an end to its so-called state," he said.

Although remnants of ISIS cells remain active, al-Abdullah said that their capacity to organize and launch major operations has significantly diminished.

"Despite the remnants of ISIS cells continuing to carry out some terrorist operations, the outcome of the war on terrorism has clearly led to a decline in the group’s capabilities and its ability to organize its ranks," he said.

Al-Abdullah stressed that these security gains extend beyond northeastern Syria.

"These security gains not only benefit the people of northern Syria but also reflect across Syria as a whole," he added.