UPDATE 1-Syria to close camps housing thousands linked to Islamic State

Syria plans to permanently close two displacement camps in the ‌northeast that hold civilians, including foreigners, linked to Islamic State militants, a government official said on Friday.

The ⁠al-Hol and Roj camps hold more than 28,000 people, mostly Syrians and Iraqis, according to the U.N. About 6,000 foreigners are housed in al-Hol and ​a further 2,000 in Roj. A charity that has worked in both ‍camps, the Swiss-based Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund, told Reuters it understands Damascus aims to empty and shut the sites within a year.

Syrian forces recently took control ⁠of al-Hol ‌after the chaotic ⁠withdrawal of Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). The SDF still holds Roj where residents had ‍in recent days reported being confined to their tents as aid groups evacuated due ​to rising security worries. More than 50,000 people who fled IS's ⁠last strongholds as the group lost territory over the last decade were once held ⁠at the two camps. Numbers have fallen due to repatriations, primarily by Iraq.

Among the foreigners held is Shamima Begum, a British-born woman who joined ⁠IS. The civilian displacement camps are for families and others with alleged IS links, ⁠distinct from ‌detention facilities that hold suspected fighters.

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