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Iraq Counts Citizens in Syria’s Al-Hol, Plans Reintegration Efforts

Families, including children, in al-Hol camp await transfer to Iraq – camp administration
Families, including children, in al-Hol camp await transfer to Iraq – camp administration
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Iraq Counts Citizens in Syria’s Al-Hol, Plans Reintegration Efforts

Families, including children, in al-Hol camp await transfer to Iraq – camp administration
Families, including children, in al-Hol camp await transfer to Iraq – camp administration

Iraq said around 16,000 of its citizens remain in Syria’s al-Hol camp, which houses families linked to ISIS.
Ali Abdullah, an official at the National Security Advisory, said on Friday that the camp hosts people of various nationalities, but Iraqi authorities are focusing on the humanitarian and security needs of their own citizens, who make up 16,000 of the camp’s population.
Iraq is urging other countries to repatriate their citizens from Syria’s al-Hol camp, warning that their prolonged presence poses a threat to regional security, a senior official said, as Baghdad continues efforts to bring its nationals home.
Ali Abdullah, also head of Iraq’s Counter-Extremism Committee, told state media that the government is working to return Iraqis from al-Hol, with large numbers being received at the Jadaa camp near Mosul.
“We are facilitating their reintegration and return to their home areas,” he said.
Abdullah said Iraq has a “clear vision” for promoting moderation and will launch several key programs by 2025 across provinces and ministries, including initiatives to integrate displaced Iraqis returning from camps.
The Iraqi government has decided to close all displacement camps, prompting the national committee to draft plans for reintegrating returnees into their original communities, according to the National Security Advisory.
Iraqi authorities have also been grappling with the fallout from a recent US decision to cut funding for humanitarian organizations operating in the country.
On March 10, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced an 83% reduction in US Agency for International Development (USAID) programs following a six-week review, affecting aid projects for displaced people.
On March 13, Iraq repatriated more than 150 Iraqi families from al-Hol to the Jadaa camp, an Iraqi security official said.
Al-Hol, one of the largest camps in northeast Syria, is under the control of the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). It was established in 1991 during the Gulf War to shelter Iraqi families fleeing to Syria.

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Syrian Authorities Arrest Coordinator Between Assad Regime and IRGC

A cache of various weapons and ammunition was found hidden inside an abandoned well in the village of Al- Madabaa’ in eastern rural Homs (Syrian Interior Ministry). 
A cache of various weapons and ammunition was found hidden inside an abandoned well in the village of Al- Madabaa’ in eastern rural Homs (Syrian Interior Ministry). 
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Syrian Authorities Arrest Coordinator Between Assad Regime and IRGC

A cache of various weapons and ammunition was found hidden inside an abandoned well in the village of Al- Madabaa’ in eastern rural Homs (Syrian Interior Ministry). 
A cache of various weapons and ammunition was found hidden inside an abandoned well in the village of Al- Madabaa’ in eastern rural Homs (Syrian Interior Ministry). 

Syrian authorities have arrested a high-ranking officer closely associated with Maher al-Assad, commander of the Fourth Division and brother of the ousted president. The officer was responsible for coordinating between former regime officials and commanders of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

The Public Security Directorate in Deir ez-Zor province, eastern Syria, announced the arrest of Brigadier General Abdul Karim Ahmed Al-Hamada, who previously oversaw reconciliation efforts with the former regime. He also served as a key liaison between ex-regime officers and IRGC leaders.

Security forces have ramped up operations targeting remnants of the deposed Assad regime across various regions of the country.

Authorities also detained Lieutenant Colonel Orouwa Deeb, a former officer in the Military Security Branch of Homs province, as he attempted to flee to Lebanon from the town of Al-Aqrabiya in western Al-Qusayr.

Local media reported on Friday that Brigadier General Abdul Karim Al-Muhaimid, a senior figure in the tribal operations room in Deir ez-Zor, was arrested alongside his son, Ahmed Abdul Karim Al-Muhaimid.

This came just hours after the arrest of Moayad Al-Duwaihi, known as “Haj Jawad,” the commander of the pro-IRGC “Sayyida Zainab Brigade” militia in Al-Mayadin and its surrounding areas in eastern Deir ez-Zor.

Earlier, security forces had also apprehended Yasser Matroud, the former head of the media office for the pro-Assad “National Defense Militia” in Deir ez-Zor.

According to local sources, Al-Muhaimid played a significant role last summer as head of the tribal operations room under the Assad regime. He reportedly collaborated with the Fourth Division’s 104th Brigade to stoke clashes between tribal forces and the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), allegedly at Iran’s direction.

In a related development, the Internal Security Directorate announced the discovery of weapons and ammunition hidden inside a well in the town of Al-Madabaa’ in eastern rural Homs. Officials stated that the arms were intended for future attacks by former regime operatives, according to Syria’s state-run Al-Ikhbariya TV.

Additionally, the Public Security Directorate in Latakia province uncovered a weapons depot in the city of Qardaha. Security officials also received firearms voluntarily handed over by tribal leaders in the villages of Al-Boudi and Al-Qalai’a in Jableh, as part of ongoing efforts to control the spread of arms and ensure they remain under state control.