Iraqis Prepare to Leave Hol Camp Amid Fears of PMF Retaliation

An Iraqi family in al-Hol camp prepares to return to Iraq (Asharq Al-Awsat)
An Iraqi family in al-Hol camp prepares to return to Iraq (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Iraqis Prepare to Leave Hol Camp Amid Fears of PMF Retaliation

An Iraqi family in al-Hol camp prepares to return to Iraq (Asharq Al-Awsat)
An Iraqi family in al-Hol camp prepares to return to Iraq (Asharq Al-Awsat)

The Iraqi government has agreed to evacuate 500 families from al-Hol camp in northeastern Syria’s Hasakah province, which hosts more than 8,000 Iraqi families of the total 62,000 residents.

Director of the Exit Office in al-Hol Camp Munir Mohammad told Asharq Al-Awsat that preparations for Iraqi repatriations started after the Iraqi government struck a deal with the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria and Hol camp's management.

Thousands of displaced Iraqis queued in front of the Exit Office to inquire about the departure dates which will begin this week, or register their names to return to their country, noting that between 2017 and 2018 about 8,000 refugees returned.

More than 50,000 Iraqis voluntarily returned to their hometowns until the end of 2018, according to the figures of the Exit Office.

The official pointed out that over the past two years, the Iraqi authorities refused to receive citizens wishing to return.

Mohammad stated that more than 20,000 Iraqis are willing to return provided that they are transferred under the supervision of United Nations and international humanitarian agencies.

“Everyone fears reprisals from the Popular Mobilization Forces, which controls many areas in Iraq,” asserted Mohammed.

At the Office, Sajida, 50, was pleased to know about her return, saying she’d go back on foot if they allowed her, adding that she’s tired of living in the camp along with her big family.

Nahida Habib al-Mohammad couldn't remember her birthday but recalled escaping five years ago from al-Anbar after ISIS took control over the governorate. She was displaced with her family into many areas, before settling in the camp two years ago.

Nahida awaits impatiently to return to her hometown and reunite with her family. She said she had registered her family several times before, but the Iraqi authorities had refused to receive them.

In another tent, Awad al-Shammari, from Sinjar in northern Iraq, sat with his wife, Khadija, and the families of their two married sons.

Khadija described their dire living conditions, saying their tent lacks basic necessities, but she was relieved after hearing news of their return to Iraq.



US Adding Second Aircraft Carrier in Middle East

A photo released by the US military shows an F/A-18 Super Hornet warplane taking off from the Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier on March 16, 2025 - AFP
A photo released by the US military shows an F/A-18 Super Hornet warplane taking off from the Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier on March 16, 2025 - AFP
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US Adding Second Aircraft Carrier in Middle East

A photo released by the US military shows an F/A-18 Super Hornet warplane taking off from the Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier on March 16, 2025 - AFP
A photo released by the US military shows an F/A-18 Super Hornet warplane taking off from the Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier on March 16, 2025 - AFP

The United States is increasing the number of aircraft carriers deployed in the Middle East to two, keeping one that is already there and sending another from the Indo-Pacific, the Pentagon said Tuesday.

The announcement comes as US forces hammer Yemen's Houthis with near-daily airstrikes in a campaign aimed at ending the threat they pose to civilian shipping and military vessels in the region.

The Carl Vinson will join the Harry S. Truman in the Middle East "to continue promoting regional stability, deter aggression, and protect the free flow of commerce in the region," Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement.

"To complement the CENTCOM maritime posture, the secretary also ordered the deployment of additional squadrons and other air assets that will further reinforce our defensive air-support capabilities," Parnell said, referring to the US military command responsible for the region, AFP reported.

"The United States and its partners remain committed to regional security in the CENTCOM (area of responsibility) and are prepared to respond to any state or non-state actor seeking to broaden or escalate conflict in the region," he added.

The Houthis began targeting shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden after the start of the Gaza war in 2023, claiming solidarity with Palestinians.

Houthi attacks have prevented ships from passing through the Suez Canal, a vital route that normally carries about 12 percent of world shipping traffic. Ongoing attacks are forcing many companies into a costly detour around the tip of southern Africa.

- 'Real pain' -

A day before the carrier announcement, US President Donald Trump vowed that strikes on Yemen's Houthis would continue until they are no longer a threat to shipping.

"The choice for the Houthis is clear: Stop shooting at US ships, and we will stop shooting at you. Otherwise, we have only just begun, and the real pain is yet to come, for both the Houthis and their sponsors in Iran," Trump said on his Truth Social platform.

Trump added that the Houthis had been "decimated" by "relentless" strikes since March 15, saying that US forces "hit them every day and night -- Harder and harder."

On Wednesday, the Houthis accused the United States of killing four people in fresh airstrikes on Hodeidah province.

The US president has also ramped up rhetoric towards Tehran, threatening that "there will be bombing" if Iran does not reach a deal on its nuclear program.

Satellite images seen by AFP showed that Washington had between March 26 and Wednesday doubled the number of B-2 bombers at a US-UK military base in the Indian Ocean, from three to six.

The photos from imaging company Planet Labs PBC also showed the presence of six Stratotanker in-flight refuelling aircraft at the Diego Garcia base, within range of Iran.

Trump's threats come as his administration battles a scandal over the accidental leak of a secret group chat by senior security officials on the Yemen strikes.

The Atlantic magazine revealed last week that its editor -- a well-known US journalist -- was inadvertently included in a chat on the commercially available Signal app where top officials were discussing the strikes.

The officials, including Trump's National Security Advisor Mike Waltz and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, discussed details of airstrike timings and intelligence -- unaware that the highly sensitive information was being simultaneously read by a member of the media.