Syria Restricts Access to Al-Hol Camp, Designates It Military Zone

(MENAFN) Syrian authorities announced Monday evening that Al-Hol camp and its surrounding area in the northeastern Hasakah province are now a completely “closed military zone,” according to reports.

The Hasakah Media Directorate, cited by local sources, stated that internal security forces have prohibited anyone from approaching or entering the area under any circumstances. Violations, the directorate warned, would lead to strict measures including immediate arrest and judicial processing, potentially resulting in severe prison sentences.

Earlier in February, a Syrian Foreign Ministry official responsible for Al-Hol confirmed that the camp had been fully evacuated. Similarly, Iraqi security officials reported that over 5,600 families, totaling around 22,000 people, had been transferred from the camp into Iraqi territory, effectively dismantling it.

Al-Hol, situated near the Syrian-Iraqi border in Hasakah province, was initially created to shelter Iraqi refugees following the 2003 US invasion of Iraq. It later came under ISIS control in 2014 and was subsequently used to detain suspected members of the group and their families, along with thousands of displaced Syrian and Iraqi civilians.

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