More than 700 Islamic State supporters escape from Syria camp, Kurds say

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Patrick Grafton-Green13 October 2019

More than 700 Islamic State supporters being held at a camp in north-eastern Syria have escaped following Turkish shelling, Syrian Kurdish officials say.

The Kurdish-led administration said the detainees attacked Ain Eissa camp's guards, opened the gates and fled on Sunday amid intense fighting nearby and Turkish airstrikes.

The camp is home to some 12,000 people, including nearly 1,000 foreign women with links to IS and their children.

A total of 785 people linked to Islamic state are said to have escaped.

The town of Ain Eissa, some 20 miles south of the border, is also home to one of the largest US-led coalition bases in north-eastern Syria.

The Kurdish forces, who partnered with the US in the fight against IS, say they may not be able to maintain detention facilities holding thousands of militants as they struggle to stem the Turkish advance.

It comes after Downing Street said Boris Johnson expressed "grave concern" over Turkey's military action in northern Syria in a phone call to the country's president Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The Prime Minister urged Mr Erdogan to enter into dialogue with a view to reaching a ceasefire.

A No 10 spokesman said last night: "He [Mr Johnson] expressed the UK's grave concern about Turkey's military operation in northern Syria, which he said could further worsen the humanitarian situation there and undermine the progress made against Daesh (so-called Islamic State).

"The Prime Minister underlined that Turkey is an important partner for the UK and a Nato ally. He recognised Turkey's role at the forefront of the fight against Daesh and its generosity in supporting refugees who've fled the civil war in Syria.

"But the Prime Minister was clear that the UK cannot support Turkey's military action. He urged the president to end the operation and enter into dialogue, and said the UK and international partners stand ready to support negotiations towards a ceasefire."

Additional reporting by agencies

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