Iraq News

Syria Kurds say they hold 900 foreign ISIS fighters

Syrian Kurdish forces battling the “Islamic State of Iraq and Syria” (ISIS) on Thursday (October 11th) said they hold around 900 of the group's foreign fighters, AFP reported.

In lengthy battles against ISIS, the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) have rounded up thousands of alleged ISIS elements, Syrian and otherwise.

"Around 900 ISIS terrorists are in our jails... from 44 countries," YPG spokesman Nuri Mahmud said.

That is a sharp rise from the figure of 520, given by another Kurdish official last month.

"The war is ongoing and until now we are arresting terrorists," Mahmud said, referring to ongoing battles against ISIS in eastern Syria. "The numbers have increased over the past months from the battles between our forces and ISIS.”

Kurdish authorities have said they will not put any foreign fighters on trial, and repeatedly called on their home countries to take them back.

But many countries have been reluctant to receive them.

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