Poor security at a camp in Syria housing thousands of suspected relatives of Islamic State group jihadists has prevented UN agency staff from entering, days after Kurdish forces withdrew and the army deployed at the site.
Two former employees at the Al-Hol desert camp told AFP on Friday that some of its residents had escaped during an hours-long security vacuum.
kAm%9@FD2?5D @7 DFDA64E65 ;:925:DED 2?5 E96:C 72>:=:6D[ :?4=F5:?8 7@C6:8?6CD[ 92G6 366? 96=5 :? AC:D@?D 2?5 42>AD :? ?@CE962DE $JC:2 D:?46 a_`h[ H96? E96 zFC5:D9\=65 $JC:2? s6>@4C2E:4 u@C46D W$suX 56762E65 x$ H:E9 E96 DFAA@CE @7 2 &$\=65 4@2=:E:@?]k^Am
kAm%9:D J62C[ E96 $su 925 E@ C6=:?BF:D9 E@ $JC:2? 8@G6C?>6?E 4@?EC@= DH2E96D @7 E6CC:E@CJ E96J 925 D6:K65 5FC:?8 E96:C 7:89E 282:?DE x$[ 2?5 @? %F6D52J H:E95C6H 7C@> p=\w@=]k^Am
kAmx? #2B2 AC@G:?46[ zFC5:D9 7@C46D H9@ 7@C>6C=J 4@?EC@==65 2 AC:D@? 9@FD:?8 x$ 56E2:?66D H6C6 3FDD65 @FE @? uC:52J F?56C 2 562= H:E9 E96 8@G6C?>6?E[ 2D 2 7@FC\52J ECF46 ?62C65 6IA:CJ]k^Am
k9am\ #6EFC?:?8 E@52J \k^9am
kAmr6=:?6 $49>:EE[ E96 &} C67F866 286?4JVD DA@<6DA6CD@? :? $JC:2[ E@=5 pu! E92E Q&}wr# H2D 23=6 E@ C6249 p=\w@= 7@C E96 A2DE E9C66 52JD 3FE 92D ?@E J6E 366? 23=6 E@ 6?E6C :?D:56 E96 42>A 5F6 E@ E96 G@=2E:=6 D64FC:EJ D:EF2E:@?]Qk^Am
kAmQ&}wr# :D C6EFC?:?8 E@ p=\w@= E@52J[ H:E9 E96 9@A6 @7 C6DF>:?8 E96 3C625 56=:G6CJ E92E 925 DE@AA65 7@C E96 A2DE E9C66 52JD[Q D96 D2:5]k^Am
kAm~? $F?52J[ $JC:2? !C6D:56?E p9>65 2=\$92C22 2??@F?465 2 562= H:E9 $su 49:67 |2K=@F> p35: E92E :?4=F565 2 462D67:C6 2?5 E96 :?E68C2E:@? @7 E96 zFC5DV 25>:?:DEC2E:@? :?E@ E96 DE2E6[ H9:49 H:== E2<6 C6DA@?D:3:=:EJ 7@C x$ AC:D@?6CD]k^Am
kAmp 7@C>6C 6>A=@J66 @7 2 =@42= 9F>2?:E2C:2? @C82?:D2E:@? E92E @A6C2E65 :? p=\w@= E@=5 pu! @? 4@?5:E:@? @7 2?@?J>:EJ E92E >@DE 2DD@4:2E:@?D H:E95C6H @? %F6D52J Q5F6 E@ E96 56E6C:@C2E:?8 D64FC:EJ D:EF2E:@?Q]k^Am
kAm$@>6 42>A C6D:56?ED 7=65 5FC:?8 E96 QD64FC:EJ G24FF>Q 36EH66? H96? E96 $su H:E95C6H 2?5 E96 2C>J E@@< 4@?EC@=[ E96J D2:5[ H:E9@FE AC@G:5:?8 2 ?F>36C]k^Am
kAmp 7@C>6C 6>A=@J66 2E 2?@E96C @C82?:D2E:@? H@C<:?8 E96C6 D2:5 Q6D42A6D H6C6 C6A@CE65[ 3FE E96 6I24E ?F>36C :D F?<?@H?Q]k^Am
kAmQ%96 42>A :D 76?465[ 3FE H:E9@FE D64FC:EJ[ 2?J@?6 42? 62D:=J 4C@DD :E 2?5 7=66[Q E96J D2:5[ 2=D@ C6BF6DE:?8 2?@?J>:EJ]k^Am
kAmq@E9 6I\6>A=@J66D D2:5 42>A C6D:56?ED E@C4965 46?EC6D 36=@?8:?8 E@ 2:5 @C82?:D2E:@?D @A6C2E:?8 :? E96 42>A[ H96C6 9F>2?:E2C:2? 4@?5:E:@?D 2C6 5:C6]k^Am
kAmq67@C6 E96 EFC>@:=[ E96 42>A 9@FD65 D@>6 ab[___ A6@A=6 \\ >@DE=J $JC:2?D 3FE 2=D@ :?4=F5:?8 2C@F?5 a[a__ xC2B:D 2?5 e[a__ @E96C 7@C6:8? H@>6? 2?5 49:=5C6? @7 G2C:@FD ?2E:@?2=:E:6D[ E96 42>AVD 7@C>6C 25>:?:DEC2E:@? E@=5 pu!]k^Am
kAm#@;[ 2 D>2==6C 42>A :? E96 ?@CE962DE DE:== F?56C zFC5:D9 4@?EC@=[ 9@=5D D@>6 a[b__ A6@A=6[ >@DE=J 7@C6:8?6CD]k^Am
kAm%96 zFC5D 2?5 E96 &?:E65 $E2E6D 92G6 C6A62E65=J FC865 4@F?EC:6D E@ C6A2EC:2E6 E96:C 4:E:K6?D 3FE 7@C6:8? 8@G6C?>6?ED 92G6 86?6C2==J 2==@H65 9@>6 @?=J 2 EC:4<=6]k^Am
k9am\ p=\pBE2? AC:D@? \k^9am
kAm%96 $su 92D H:E95C2H? E@ A2CED @7 w2D2<69 AC@G:?46[ :ED DEC@?89@=5 :? ?@CE962DE $JC:2]k^Am
kAmp 7C6D9 7@FC\52J 462D67:C6 H2D 2??@F?465 @? %F6D52J[ H9:=6 E96 7@==@H:?8 52J E96 &?:E65 $E2E6D D2:5 :E 925 =2F?4965 2? @A6C2E:@? E92E 4@F=5 D66 f[___ x$ ;:925:DE 56E2:?66D >@G65 7C@> $JC:2 E@ xC2B[ H:E9 `d_ EC2?D76CC65 D@ 72C]k^Am
kAm&$ 6?G@J %@> q2CC24<[ H9@ 92D D2:5 E96 AFCA@D6 @7 (2D9:?8E@?VD 2==:2?46 H:E9 $su 92D ?@H =2C86=J 6IA:C65[ 96=5 E2=<D E9:D H66< H:E9 p35: 2?5 D6?:@C zFC5:D9 @77:4:2= t=92> p9>25]k^Am
kAm~? uC:52J[ $JC:2 EC2?D76CC65 zFC5:D9 7:89E6CD 2H2J 7C@> E96 p=\pBE2? AC:D@? @? E96 @FED<:CED @7 #2B2 4:EJ]k^Am
kAmp? pu! 4@CC6DA@?56?E :? #2B2 D2H 3FD6D 2?5 42CD 9625:?8 2H2J 7C@> E96 p=\pBE2? AC:D@?[ 6D4@CE65 3J 8@G6C?>6?E G69:4=6D]k^Am
kAm$JC:2? DE2E6 E6=6G:D:@? C6A@CE65 E96 EC2?D76C 42>6 Q27E6C 7:G6 52JD @7 ?68@E:2E:@?DQ 2?5 E92E E96 7:89E6CD H@F=5 8@ E@ E96 zFC5:D9\96=5 4:EJ @7 p:? 2=\pC23[ 2=D@ <?@H? 2D z@32?6[ @? E96 ?@CE96C? 3@C56C H:E9 %FC<6J]k^Am
kAm%96 $su =2E6C D2:5 E92E H:E9 4@2=:E:@? DFAA@CE[ 2== E96 7:89E6CD 925 366? EC2?D76CC65 QE@ D276 =@42E:@?DQ[ H9:=6 E96 :?E6C:@C >:?:DECJ D2:5 2FE9@C:E:6D 925 E2<6? 4@?EC@= @7 E96 724:=:EJ]k^Am
kAmp 8@G6C?>6?E D@FC46 E@=5 DE2E6 E6=6G:D:@? E92E 2C@F?5 g__ $su 7:89E6CD H6C6 E@ =62G6[ H9:=6 x$ 56E2:?66D H@F=5 36 >2?2865 Q244@C5:?8 E@ $JC:2? =2HQ]k^Am
kAm%96 2C>J D2:5 E96 p=\pBE2? EC2?D76C H2D QE96 7:CDE DE6A :? :>A=6>6?E:?8 E96 y2?F2CJ `g 28C66>6?EQ]k^Am
kAm3FC\=8\C9^D6Ck^Am
