As many as 800 affiliates of extremist organization ISIS have escaped from a Syrian internment camp. The evasion was facilitated by Turkey’s recent offensive against Kurdish enclaves, which was in turn enabled by the withdrawal of US troops from the region.
The escapees include former operatives plus many ISIS wives and children.
Turkey’s offensive has been widely condemned by international leaders. The Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has justified it as a way to create a ‘safe zone’ on the country’s border prior to moving as many of three million refugees there.
The ongoing military operation is likely to worsen Syria’s already dire plight after almost nine years of continuous war.