Counter-Terrorism

Al Hol camp in Northeastern Syria holds holds more than 68,000 mostly ISIS-linked detainees. The Investigative Journal has made three trips to the camp over the past several months.

An estimated 5000 Syrian mercenaries have been sent to Libya by Turkey to fight in support of Tripoli’s Government of National Accord (GNA) since December 2019.

As Syrian and Russian forces bombard Idlib and the Aleppo countryside, thousands of militants from the Turkish-backed Free Syrian Army (TFSA) who would presumably be defending these areas in Syria are instead in Libya.

At the same time Pakistan is claiming to take action against banned militant organizations on its soil to avoid being blacklisted by the Paris-based Financial Action Task Force (FATF), the international watchdog that monitors efforts by countries in curbing terror financing

On January 19th, the German government hosted the two main warring parties in Libya, the Libyan National Army (LNA), and the Government of National Accord (GNA),to discuss the implementation of a ceasefire.

At a small grocery store in Derik, Syria, one dusty case of Sariyer soda water sits underneath a shelf. “The self-administration [of North and East Syria] gave us time to finish selling the Turkish products we had in stock, like this one,” said the store’s owner.

The sprawling al Hol camp in Hasakah, Syria is a grim sight in the dead of winter. Aylu*, a YPJ member (women’s protection units, a group of female fighters in Northeastern Syria), is one of the camp’s administrators. “The situation hasn’t changed much since you were here last,” she said.

When Turkey began bombing his village in Sere-Kaniye in October, Jamil Khabat, his wife, and their young songs fled their home. “This is the third time I’ve had to leave my home because of Turkish attacks,” he said. “The last time, Turkey opened the border crossing and let [the militants] in.” Khabat and his family are one of 50-60 staying at a school in Hasakah.

Since Turkey launched Operation “Peace Spring,” in October, assaulting several cities in Northeastern Syria with airstrikes and a ground offensive led by the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army (SNA), hundreds of civilians have been killed, and hundreds of thousands have been displaced.

The PKK sent their driver to get my cameraman and I from our Erbil hotel late in the afternoon. It was dark by the time we reached the Qandil Mountains.