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Why has Europe left Kurds to suffer alone?
On late Thursday 20, January a group of more than 100 Islamic State fighters launched one of the most significant attacks on Al-Sinaa prison, known as Ghuwayran prison in the northeast Syrian city of Hassakah, since the collapse of the so-called "Islamic caliphate" nearly three years ago. The ISIS massive's attacks were to free some of its prisoners that estimated between 3,500 and 5000 fighters in Sinaa prison who were surrendered to the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in the Baghoz 2019 were marked the end of geopolitical and territorial control of the terrorist group. Besides that, ISIS's current attacks were also an attempt to boost its ranks and to be recognised again across the region following the strategy of "suicide bombs" and the "break into prisons" that are based on ISIS ideology, and it could also mark a new phase in IS resurgence.
After one week of clashes, the Syrian Democratic Forces has gained full control of Sinaa prison, Hasakah. The US-backed Kurdish forces have also declared that 121 people died including 40 of their troops, 70 prison guards, and 4 civilians. Added to that, the SDF said around 374 ISIS fighters have been killed since the beginning of the clashes. However, since the beginning of the battle against the so-called Islamic State, the Kurdish forces (SDF) have become the main international coalition's trustworthy ally on the ground and in fact, they were fighting terrorism instead of all the international community. As a result, the Kurdish forces have lost more than 12,000 of their fighters, and thousands have been injured since they announced the defeat of the Islamic State in 2019 until now. Furthermore, the European countries and the International Community ignored that success and left the Kurds behind to face their fate against terrorism of ISIS, Turkey with the Syrian opposition’s militia and the threats of the Syrian regime.
European countries including Britain and other countries have turned their backs to the fact that the Kurdish forces were behind the defeat and smashing of ISIS. Moreover, these European countries were aware of the remaining 12,000 ISIS terrorists in the custody of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, and more than 2000 of them are foreigners, mostly from Europe from almost 50 countries. Besides that, the Syrian Democratic Forces and the Kurdish-led self-administration are responsible for all ISIS families and there are around 70,000 women and children still held in several camps. Most of the European countries are refusing to return their citizens home.
In the last terrorist attacks of ISIS fighters in Sinaa prison has been clear that such massive attacks have been planned a few months ago with the support of local groups, the Syrian regime, and neighbouring countries such as Turkey. In other words, the international community should act immediately to find out the solution for ISIS fighters and families and to be honest with the Kurdish forces and protect them. Despite the US military support, airstrikes, and the romantic compliment by some European leaders including the UK government, but still inadequate in the battle against terrorism. Consequently, this attack is not the first prison break attempt by ISIS, and it will continue to carry on if there is no solution for such thousands of time bombs in prisons and camps that are guarded by the Syrian Democratic Forces. The international community and European countries, instead, should reward the Kurds by offering more military, political and economic support and to protect their trustworthy partner with guarantee of the Kurdish rights in the Syrian constitution in the context of federal state.
BY: Zara Saleh
