Iraq News

2 women, 6 children from ISIS families repatriated to US from Syria

Two American women and six children from families of suspected "Islamic State of Iraq and Syria" (ISIS) members were repatriated to the US on Wednesday (June 5th) in the latest transfers from a crowded camp in Syria, AFP reported.

The move is part of an effort by the Kurdish administration in north-east Syria to reduce the population of al-Hol, which is crammed with nearly 74,000 people from more than 40 countries.

It comes after Norway on Monday retrieved five Norwegian orphans from the same camp and Kurdish authorities started sending hundreds of Syrian women and children home as part of a wider effort to clear al-Hol of its Syrian inhabitants.

Uzbekistan said it repatriated more than 100 nationals from Syria last week.

Wednesday's repatriation was carried out "at the request of the US government and based... on the free and voluntary desire of the American citizens to return to their country without any pressure or coercion", spokesman Kamal Akef said in a statement.

Akef told AFP the eight were from "ISIS families" staying in al-Hol, which is populated by suspected ISIS members, their families as well as regular civilians who were displaced from their homes.

In Washington, a State Department spokeswoman confirmed that the US had "safely recovered" citizens including young children from Syria and was assisting in their repatriation.

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