'The doors are open for IS' - Syria's Kurds warn over advance by Turkish-backed forces

As the caller Syria struggles to instrumentality shape, aged threats are re-emerging.

The chaos since the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad is "paving the way" for the alleged Islamic State (IS) to marque a comeback, according to a starring Kurdish commandant who helped decision the jihadist radical successful Syria successful 2019. He says the comeback has already begun.

"Activity by Daesh [IS] has accrued significantly, and the information of a resurgence had doubled', according to General Mazloum Abdi, commandant of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a chiefly Kurdish militia confederation backed by the US. "They present person much capabilities and much opportunities."

He says that IS militants person seized immoderate arms and ammunition near down by Syrian authorities troops, according to quality reports.

And helium warns determination is "a existent threat" that the militants volition effort to interruption into SDF-run prisons present successful north-east Syria, which are holding astir 10,000 of their men. The SDF is besides holding astir 50,000 of their household members successful camps.

Our interrogation with the wide was precocious astatine night, astatine a determination we can't disclose.

He welcomed the autumn of the Assad authorities - which detained him 4 times. But helium looked weary and admitted to vexation astatine the imaginable of warring aged battles erstwhile again.

"We fought against them [IS] and paid 12,000 souls," helium said, referring to the SDF's losses. "I deliberation astatine immoderate level we volition person to spell backmost to wherever we were before."

The hazard of an IS resurgence is heightened, helium says, due to the fact that the SDF is coming nether expanding attacks from neighbouring Turkey - and rebel factions it supports - and indispensable divert immoderate fighters to that battle. He tells america the SDF has had to halt antagonistic coercion operations against IS, and hundreds of situation guards - from a unit of thousands - person returned location to support their villages.

Ankara views the SDF arsenic an hold of the PKK - banned Kurdish separatists who person waged an insurgency for decades, and are classed arsenic terrorists by the US, and the EU. It has agelong wanted a 30km "buffer zone" successful the Kurdish portion successful northeastern Syria. Since Assad's fall, it is pushing harder to get it.

"The fig 1 menace is present Turkey due to the fact that its airstrikes are sidesplitting our forces," said General Abdi. "These attacks indispensable stop, due to the fact that they are distracting america from focusing connected the information of the detention centres," helium said, "though we volition ever bash our best."

Inside Al-Sina, the largest situation for IS detainees, we saw the layers of information and felt the hostility among the staff.

The erstwhile acquisition institute successful the metropolis of Al- Hasakah holds astir 5,000 men - suspected fighters oregon supporters of IS.

Every compartment doorway is padlocked and secured with 3 bolts. The corridors are divided into sections by dense robust gates. The guards are masked, with batons successful hand. Getting entree present is rare.

We were allowed a glimpse wrong 2 cells but could not talk to the men inside. They were told we were journalists and were fixed the enactment of hiding their faces. Few did. Most sat silently connected blankets and bladed mattresses. Two men paced the floor.

Kurdish information sources accidental astir of the prisoners successful Al-Sina were with IS until its past basal and were profoundly committed to its ideology.

We were taken to conscionable a 28-year-old detainee - bladed and softly spoken - who did not privation to beryllium named. He said helium was speaking freely, though connected the cardinal issues helium wouldn't accidental much.

He told america helium near his autochthonal Australia astatine the property of 19, to sojourn his grandma successful Cyprus.

"From there, 1 happening led to another," helium said, "and I ended up successful Aleppo." He claimed helium was moving with an NGO successful the metropolis of Raqqa erstwhile IS took over.

I asked if helium had humor connected his hands, and was progressive with sidesplitting anyone? "No, I wasn't," helium replied, hardly audibly.

And did helium enactment what IS was doing? "I don't privation to reply that question due to the fact that it mightiness person an effect connected my case," helium replied.

He hopes to get backmost to Australia 1 day, though he's unsure if helium volition beryllium welcome.

There is anticipation excessively down the ligament of Roj campy - astir 3 hours' thrust distant - that state is coming. Somehow.

This bleak expanse of tents - ringed by walls, fences and ticker towers - is location to astir 3,000 women and children. They person ne'er been tried oregon convicted but they are the families of IS fighters and supporters.

There are respective British women successful the camp. We met 3 of them, briefly. All said they had been told by their lawyers not to speak.

In a windswept country we came crossed a pistillate consenting to speech - Saida Temirbulatova, 47, a erstwhile taxation inspector from Dagestan. Her nine-year-old son, Ali, stood softly by her side. She hopes the overthrow of Assad volition mean state for them both.

"The caller person Ahmed al-Sharaa [the caput of the Islamist radical Hayat Tahrir al-Sham] made an address, saying helium volition springiness everyone their freedom. We besides privation freedom. We privation to leave, astir apt for Russia. It's the lone state that volition instrumentality us."

The campy manager tells america that others judge IS volition travel to their rescue and interruption them out. She asked america not to usage her sanction arsenic she fears for her safety.

"Since the autumn of Assad, the campy is calm. Typically, erstwhile it's this quiet, it means the women are organising themselves," she said. "They person packed their bags acceptable to go. They say: 'We volition get retired of this campy soon and renew ourselves. We volition travel backmost again arsenic IS.'"

She says there's a disposable change, adjacent successful the children, who chant slogans and curse astatine passersby. "They say: 'We volition travel backmost and get you. It [IS] is coming soon.'"

During our clip successful the campy galore children raised the scale digit of their close hands. This motion is utilized by each Muslims successful regular prayer, but it's besides wide utilized by IS militants successful propaganda images.

The women successful Roj campy aren't the lone ones packing their bags.

Some Kurdish civilians successful the metropolis of Al-Hasakah are doing the aforesaid - fearing a comeback by the jihadis and different crushed violative by Turkey successful north-eastern Syria.

Jewan,24, who teaches English, is getting acceptable to spell - reluctantly.

"I person packed my bag, and I americium preparing my ID and my important documents, "he tells me. "I don't privation to permission my location and my memories, but we are each surviving successful a authorities of changeless fear. The Turks are threatening us, and the doors are unfastened for IS. They tin onslaught their jails. They tin bash immoderate they want."

Jewan was displaced erstwhile earlier from the north-western metropolis of Aleppo, astatine the commencement of Syria's civilian warfare successful 2011. He is wondering wherever to go, this time.

"The concern demands urgent planetary involution to support civilians," helium says. I inquire if helium thinks it volition come. "No," helium replies softly. But helium asks maine to notation his plea.

Additional reporting by Michael Steininger and Matthew Goddard