In the sprawling al-Hol camp in northeastern Syria, Islamic State wives and widows have set up special courts, stabbed to death at least two people accused of apostasy and wielded knives and pistols in clashes with their Kurdish guards.
Now, as Turkish troops invade northern Syria and the U.S. abandons its Kurdish allies, there are renewed fears of a prison break in the camp that could give new life to the extremist group.
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In the sprawling al-Hol camp in northeastern Syria, Islamic State wives and widows have set up special courts, stabbed to death at least two people accused of apostasy and wielded knives and pistols in clashes with their Kurdish guards.
Turkey views the Kurdish fighters as terrorists because of their links to an insurgency in its southeast.
In this March 31, 2019, photo, women stand outside a small shop al-Hol camp, in Hasakeh province, Syria, Sunday, March 31, 2019. As Turkish troops invade northern Syria and the U.S. abandons its Kurdish allies, there are renewed fears of a prison break in the camp that could give new life to the extremist group. The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces are mobilizing to stop the Turkish invasion and say they may not be able to spare enough forces to secure al-Hol, home to tens of thousands of IS-linked women and their children. (AP PhotoMaya Alleruzzo)
FILE - In this Sunday, March 31, 2019 file photo, laundry dries on a chain link fence in an area for foreign families, at al-Hol camp in Hasakeh province, Syria. Security conditions in the al-Hol camp that is home to tens of thousands of wives and children of Islamic State group fighters has been bad for the past months and will likely get worse now that Turkey is on the offensive in northern Syria. The camp that is home to more than 70,000 has witnessed crimes carried out by IS women against residents whom they consider apostates.(AP PhotoMaya Alleruzzo, File )
FILE - In this Sunday, March 31, 2019, photo, women line up for aid supplies at al-Hol camp in Hasakeh province, Syria. As Turkish troops invade northern Syria and the U.S. abandons its Kurdish allies, there are renewed fears of a prison break in the camp that could give new life to the extremist group. The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces are mobilizing to stop the Turkish invasion and say they may not be able to spare enough forces to secure al-Hol, home to tens of thousands of IS-linked women and their children, and other detention camps holding more than 10,000 male militants, including some 2,000 foreign fighters. .(AP PhotoMaya Alleruzzo)
In this March 31, 2019, photo, women speak to guards at the gate that closes off the section for foreign families who lived in the Islamic State's so-called caliphate, at al-Hol camp in Hasakeh province, Syria. As Turkish troops invade northern Syria and the U.S. abandons its Kurdish allies, there are renewed fears of a prison break in the camp that could give new life to the extremist group. (AP PhotoMaya Alleruzzo)
FILE - In this March 31, 2019, file, photo, a woman gestures for a portrait at al-Hol camp, which holds families of Islamic State members, in Hasakeh province, Syria. Security conditions in the al-Hol camp that is home to tens of thousands of wives and children of Islamic State group fighters has been bad for the past months and will likely get worse now that Turkey is on the offensive in northern Syria. The camp that is home to more than 70,000 has witnessed crimes carried out by IS women against residents whom they consider apostates.(AP PhotoMaya Alleruzzo, File)
In this March 31, 2019, photo, women shop the marketplace at al-Hol camp in Hasakeh province, Syria. Security conditions in the al-Hol camp that is home to tens of thousands of wives and children of Islamic State group fighters has been bad for the past months and will likely get worse now that Turkey is on the offensive in northern Syria. The camp that is home to more than 70,000 has witnessed crimes carried out by IS women against residents whom they consider apostates. (AP PhotoMaya Alleruzzo)
The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces are mobilizing to stop the Turkish invasion and say they may not have enough forces to secure al-Hol, home to tens of thousands of IS-linked women and their children, and other detention camps.
FILE - In this Sunday, March 31, 2019, file, photo, women line up for aid supplies at al-Hol camp in Hasakeh province, Syria. As Turkish troops invade northern Syria and the U.S. abandons its Kurdish allies, there are renewed fears of a prison break in the camp that could give new life to the extremist group. (AP PhotoMaya Alleruzzo, File)
Turkey views the Kurdish fighters as terrorists because of their links to an insurgency in its southeast.
FILE - In this March 31, 2019, file, photo, women shop in the marketplace at al-Hol camp, home to families of Islamic State fighters, in Hasakeh province, Syria. As Turkish troops invade northern Syria and the U.S. abandons its Kurdish allies, there are renewed fears of a prison break in the camp that could give new life to the extremist group. (AP PhotoMaya Alleruzzo, File)
In this March 31, 2019, photo, women stand outside a small shop al-Hol camp, in Hasakeh province, Syria, Sunday, March 31, 2019. As Turkish troops invade northern Syria and the U.S. abandons its Kurdish allies, there are renewed fears of a prison break in the camp that could give new life to the extremist group. The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces are mobilizing to stop the Turkish invasion and say they may not be able to spare enough forces to secure al-Hol, home to tens of thousands of IS-linked women and their children. (AP PhotoMaya Alleruzzo)
FILE - In this Sunday, March 31, 2019 file photo, laundry dries on a chain link fence in an area for foreign families, at al-Hol camp in Hasakeh province, Syria. Security conditions in the al-Hol camp that is home to tens of thousands of wives and children of Islamic State group fighters has been bad for the past months and will likely get worse now that Turkey is on the offensive in northern Syria. The camp that is home to more than 70,000 has witnessed crimes carried out by IS women against residents whom they consider apostates.(AP PhotoMaya Alleruzzo, File )
FILE - In this Sunday, March 31, 2019, photo, women line up for aid supplies at al-Hol camp in Hasakeh province, Syria. As Turkish troops invade northern Syria and the U.S. abandons its Kurdish allies, there are renewed fears of a prison break in the camp that could give new life to the extremist group. The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces are mobilizing to stop the Turkish invasion and say they may not be able to spare enough forces to secure al-Hol, home to tens of thousands of IS-linked women and their children, and other detention camps holding more than 10,000 male militants, including some 2,000 foreign fighters. .(AP PhotoMaya Alleruzzo)
In this March 31, 2019, photo, women speak to guards at the gate that closes off the section for foreign families who lived in the Islamic State's so-called caliphate, at al-Hol camp in Hasakeh province, Syria. As Turkish troops invade northern Syria and the U.S. abandons its Kurdish allies, there are renewed fears of a prison break in the camp that could give new life to the extremist group. (AP PhotoMaya Alleruzzo)
FILE - In this March 31, 2019, file, photo, a woman gestures for a portrait at al-Hol camp, which holds families of Islamic State members, in Hasakeh province, Syria. Security conditions in the al-Hol camp that is home to tens of thousands of wives and children of Islamic State group fighters has been bad for the past months and will likely get worse now that Turkey is on the offensive in northern Syria. The camp that is home to more than 70,000 has witnessed crimes carried out by IS women against residents whom they consider apostates.(AP PhotoMaya Alleruzzo, File)
In this March 31, 2019, photo, women shop the marketplace at al-Hol camp in Hasakeh province, Syria. Security conditions in the al-Hol camp that is home to tens of thousands of wives and children of Islamic State group fighters has been bad for the past months and will likely get worse now that Turkey is on the offensive in northern Syria. The camp that is home to more than 70,000 has witnessed crimes carried out by IS women against residents whom they consider apostates. (AP PhotoMaya Alleruzzo)