Over 700 ISIS Affiliates Escape Syria Camp Amid Turkish Shelling

The 249 women and 700 children of the “caliphate” held in a secure annex at the Ain Issa camp began to panic and riot and scared away the guards after Turkish shelling struck close to the area on Sunday, Abdulkader Mwahed, the co-president for humanitarian affairs in the Kurdish-held part of Syria, said in a statement. 

The Kurdish groups earlier warned that any Turkish incursion could risk the rise of ISIS again as their energy will be consumed in a confrontation with the Turkish forces. They in a stronger-toned statement hinted they will release the ISIS members’ families in their captivity if the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan went ahead with his offensive plan.

The development raises risks of the ISIS terrorist group’s power gain afresh in Syria. Syria and its allies Russia and Iran said in 2017 they defeated ISIS in the Arab country and its self-proclaimed caliphate no longer existed. 

The escape comes amid a Turkish military campaign against the Syrian Kurds controlling the north and northeast. Ankara argued that its offensive, codenamed Operation Peace Spring”, is aimed against “terrorists,” a reference to the People’s Protection Units (YPG) and the Syrian Democratic Force (SDF). 

In an initial achievement for the Turkish forces, the border town of Ras al-Ain was captured by the allies Syrian opposition fighters.  

YPG and the SDF, both allies of the US, said they will counter the Turkish campaign although they felt betrayed by the American president. Donald Trump on Wednesday said he removed the American forces from northern Syria, a day before Erdogan announced launching the attacks. 

The campaign has caused regional and global outcry. The US and EU said they will consider sanctions on Turkey. Regional powers have condemned the “massacre” of the Kurdish woman and children. Iranian lawmakers have condemned the attacks as aid groups operating in northeastern Syria raised the alarm about civilian casualties and an impending humanitarian crisis this week. Iran’s parliament speaker canceled a planned Turkey visit.