Syrian Kurds hand over 146 armed family members to Tajikistan

Yesterday, the Kurdish Autonomous Administration handed over to the delegation of the State of Tajikistan 146 women and children of its subjects, members of the families of Islamic State militants, a local official said. Since the announcement of the liquidation of the “caliphate” of an extremist organization in Syria in 2019, the Autonomous Administration has been demanding from the countries concerned to return their citizens from the organization’s family members who are in camps, or their citizens detained in prisons and camps. But most countries have not responded to the calls. Phanar al-Kait, an employee of the foreign relations department of the autonomous administration, said that “146 people, including women and children,” were handed over to the Tajik ambassador to Kuwait, Zabidulla Zabidov. According to al-Qait, they are divided between 42 women and 104 children, including orphans, the number of which is unknown. They were in the Al-Hol and Roj camps run by the Autonomous Administration in Al-Hasakah Governorate. He said that the women, “thanks to our communication with our security agencies, have not committed any crimes or acts of terrorism in the areas of northern and eastern Syria.” The shipment, the first of its kind, was brought to Tajikistan after several months of communication, according to a Kurdish official. He stressed that his country’s embassy in Kuwait “is working on the return of Tajik citizens, including women and children, who are currently in the Al-Khol and Rozh camps.”