ISIS militants seize control of Yarmouk in Syria

Middle East, News April 1, 2015 , by IRIA No Comments

The ISIS terrorists in Syria have seized control of the Palestinian refugee camp of Yarmouk from rival militants, a sign that infighting within the anti-government militant groups keeps escalating.

A Palestinian official based in the Syrian capital, Damascus, said Wednesday that the terrorists retook most parts of the camp, which is located south of the capital city, Damascus, after clashes with other anti-government militants there.

“Fighters from IS (ISIS) launched an assault this morning on Yarmouk and they took over the majority of the camp,” said Anwar Abdel Hadi, an official in the Palestine Liberation Organization, who that infighting continued inside the camp.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which is based in London, confirmed large parts of the camp have come under the control of ISIS.

Once a very thriving place hosting tens of thousands of Palestinian refugees as well as Syrians, Yarmouk has turned into a ghost town as a result of violent attacks by anti-government militants over the past four years of turmoil in Syria. Around 20,000 people still remain in the camp, a tiny portion of the initial 160,000 Palestinian refugees residing in the area.

ISIS was in control of the camp until 2014, when a deal with the government saw the group withdraw. The Syrian army has since then besieged the camp as it has turned into a major bastion for spreading anti-government militancy.

The file photo shows people at the Palestinian refugee camp of Yarmouk, where only around 20,000 people remain of the 160,000 Palestinian and Syrian people who lived there before the Syria conflict erupted in March 2011. © AFP

The violence fueled by terrorist groups, including ISIS, in Syria has claimed the lives of over 215,000 people since March 2011, according to reports.

New figures show that over 76,000 people, including thousands of children, lost their lives in Syria last year.

Over 3.8 million Syrians have left their country since the beginning of the crisis. More than 7.2 million Syrians have also become internally displaced, according to the United Nations.

MS/HSN/SS