ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) on Wednesday rejected attempts by the Syrian government to absolve themselves of responsibility for escapees from the notorious al-Hol camp in Rojava (northeast Syria), saying that Islamic State (ISIS) detainees were able to flee "under the eyes and protection of personnel" from the Damascus-affiliated forces.

Al-Hol is a large camp located in Rojava’s Hasaka province that houses thousands of women and children of ISIS fighters. The camp, long held by Kurdish-led forces, was taken by the Syrian Arab Army and its affiliated factions last month as Kurdish fighters were forced to withdraw amid a brutal offensive. 

Spokesperson of the Syrian interior ministry Noureddin al-Baba has said that Damascus was "surprised by the SDF's sudden and uncoordinated withdrawal," claiming that it took place six hours before state forces arrived and that many of its residents fled in the meantime.

The SDF, however, rejected the allegations, pointing to its lengthy track record in keeping the camp secure and lambasting the alleged collusion between Syrian forces and escapees and asserting that Damascus now seeks to "evade responsibility."

"The events were preceded by direct attacks and military mobilizations by factions affiliated with Damascus toward the camp, with clashes reaching its perimeter, coinciding with coordinated movements inside the camp by families of ISIS elements aimed at stirring chaos," the Kurdish-led forces said in a statement.

"In the face of this deliberate escalation, and amid a suspicious international silence, our forces were compelled to withdraw to avoid turning the camp into an open battlefield."

The NGO Human Rights Watch on Monday reported that "since the [Damascus] government took control of al-Hol on January 20, the population has dropped, with many people leaving in a largely unplanned and chaotic manner."

The SDF continued to claim that "smuggling operations continued openly and in a documented manner for more than a week, under the eyes and protection of personnel from the Ministries of Defense and Interior of the Damascus government."

"Throughout the past years, our forces have been the party most committed to managing this complex file in accordance with the possible humanitarian and security standards," the statement concluded.

International fears over the prospect of ISIS suspects escaping from al-Hol and other camps led Iraq to agree to take in thousands of detainees amid the January turmoil, with over 5,700 individuals from 67 nationalities having been transferred across the border.