Iraq warns on Al-Hol camp ISIS families, Terrorists from 50 countries on borders

Shafaq News/ Iraq’s military spokesperson, Sabah Al-Numan, on Wednesday, urged countries with nationals residing in Syria’s Al-Hol camp to repatriate them, following Iraq’s efforts to return families linked to ISIS militants.

In an interview with Shafaq News, Al-Numan emphasized that the issue is a global responsibility, not just Iraq’s. "There is ongoing monitoring of the Al-Hol camp, which houses both Iraqi families and ISIS militants, alongside nationals from 50 other countries," he said.

Iraq is pushing for the closure of the Al-Hol camp, located south of Syria's Hasakah, which shelters tens of thousands of wives, children, and supporters of ISIS militants. The camp is under the control of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), affiliated with the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).

Al-Numan noted that Iraq has made significant progress on this issue and urged other countries to follow suit by repatriating their nationals, highlighting Iraq’s government has developed plans for the return of Iraqi families, including legal procedures to prosecute ISIS militants.

"Programs for re-education, guidance, and reintegration of these families have been prepared by the Ministry of Migration and Displacement, the National Security Advisory, and relevant authorities," he added.

Regarding security on the Iraq-Syria border, Al-Numan reassured the public, stating that "Iraqi forces have made significant progress in securing the border from terrorist groups, and there is no concern about their impact." He also mentioned recent preemptive operations that have targeted ISIS remnants, resulting in the death of several leaders in recent days.

"The security situation is reassuring, as terrorist groups are weakening after losing their leadership, logistical support, and popular base," Al-Numan concluded.

On February 9, Iraq received another batch of ISIS families, comprising 155 families and 569 individuals, from the Al-Hol camp in coordination with camp authorities. This transfer marks the fourth batch in 2025 and the 21st since Iraq began repatriating its nationals from the camp.

This operation is part of ongoing cooperation between the Iraqi government and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) aimed at rehabilitating families tied to ISIS as part of a long-term strategy to address the consequences of the conflict with the extremist group.

Iraqi National Security Advisor Qasim Al-Araji has previously described the camp as a "tickingtime bomb" due to its large population of ISIS members and their families from various countries, while many nations have been reluctant to accept their nationals.