ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) announced Saturday it arrested a “senior [Islamic State] ISIS leader” in al-Hol camp, during an operation backed by the anti-ISIS global coalition.

“Special Operations Teams (TOL) of the Syrian Democratic Forces, in direct coordination with the International Coalition, carried out a precise security operation at dawn today inside al-Hol Camp. The operation resulted in the arrest of the ISIS senior leader, Baha al-Maseeri, known as Abu Abdulrahman, an Iraqi national,” read a statement from the Kurdish-led force.

The suspected ISIS leader, according to the SDF, played a pivotal role in reactivating the militant group’s cells, and coordinated ideological and military recruitments, he was also involved in “manufacturing and preparing explosives devices” to be transported outside the camp in order to target “civilians, our forces, and public institutions.”

Located in northeast Syria's (Rojava's) Hasaka province, al-Hol houses tens of thousands of people with links to ISIS. The camp has been branded as a major security concern, with both regional and international communities repeatedly expressing concern and labeling it a “ticking time bomb.” 

Kurdish-led security forces in Rojava, who control the camp, routinely carry out operations against ISIS inside the camp. Rojava’s forces in early September said they had foiled a mass escape attempt by 56 alleged affiliates of ISIS.

In addition to Syria, the camp also poses a major security to neighboring Iraq, as it still holds more than 13,000 Iraqis, after Baghdad repatriated 19,000 nationals from the camp in late October.

Baghdad has been one of the leading drivers to close the camp as soon as possible. In late September, Iraq held a conference on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly on the repatriation of persons from al-Hol, with top Iraqi and UN officials urging the international community to repatriate their nationals.