Syria
The Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (DAANES) receives a UK delegation from British Embassy in Beirut on April 16, 2024. Photo: DAANES
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ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Kurdish-led administration in northeast Syria (Rojava) announced on Wednesday the handover of four individuals affiliated with the Islamic State (ISIS) to a visiting UK delegation, during a meeting that also emphasized continued British support.
“One British woman and three children affiliated with ISIS families were handed over in accordance with an official handover document signed by representatives of both the Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (DAANES) and the United Kingdom,” the Kurdish-led administration said in a statement.
DAANES stated it would continue cooperating with the UK and all countries that have citizens and children in areas under its jurisdiction, particularly concerning the repatriation of ISIS-linked individuals.
The UK delegation was led by Mary Shockledge, head of the Syria office at the British Embassy in Beirut, and was received by Fanar al-Kaeet, co-chair of the DAANES Department of Foreign Relations.
Thousands of people with suspected ties to ISIS are currently held in the al-Hol and Roj camps in Hasaka province. The camps are held by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) - the force that spearheaded the fight against ISIS in Syria.
Al-Hol is the larger of the two, currently housing 34,927 individuals linked to ISIS. These include 15,861 Syrians, 15,681 Iraqis, and 6,385 third-country nationals, according to official data obtained by Rudaw English from the camps’ supervisor.
The UK delegation also reaffirmed London’s commitment to the “long-term defeat of ISIS” through continued coordination with the US-led coalition, as well as ongoing humanitarian support.
“The UK remains at the forefront of humanitarian response efforts, with extensive humanitarian programs aimed at mitigating protection risks to civilians, improving conditions in camps, and building resilience,” the statement said.
“The UK will continue working with both the new Syrian government and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) to support an inclusive political process,” it added, quoting Shockledge, who also welcomed the recent political agreement between the SDF and Syria’s interim government.
On March 10, Syria’s interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa and SDF commander Mazloum Abdi signed a political agreement aimed at integrating the SDF into the Syrian state apparatus. The deal includes formal recognition of the Kurdish population as a core component of Syria, a nationwide ceasefire, and the return of displaced persons to their homes.
In a further sign of shifting UK policy toward Syria, the UK Treasury in early March lifted sanctions on Syria’s central bank and 23 other banking, commercial, and oil entities whose assets had been frozen for six years. It also pledged £200 million to provide food, healthcare, and education in Syria.
“We will continue to do all we can to help those in need,” Shockledge said, according to the statement.
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