Damascus: The Syrian Ministry of Interior acknowledged on Wednesday that mass escapes had occurred from al-Hol camp, which housed families of suspected ISIS members. Ministry spokesman Noureddine al-Baba stated at a press conference: “Upon the arrival of our specialized teams, it became clear that mass escapes had occurred as a result of the camp being opened haphazardly.”

According to National Iraqi News Agency, al-Baba elaborated that some guards abandoned their posts with their weapons, while internal barriers within the camp were removed, leading to chaos. He further described the humanitarian situation inside al-Hol camp as shocking, likening it to a forced detention camp where thousands of people had been held for years in harsh conditions. The camp, located in a semi-desert area, lacked infrastructure and was in violation of fundamental principles of justice and human rights.