Seventeen Lebanese men affiliated with ISIS are currently imprisoned in Syria, a high ranking security official in Beirut has said.
He was speaking after several women and children, who escaped ISIS camps in Syria recently, crossed into the neighbouring country through official and illegal entry points.
“As ISIS prisoners are being moved to Iraq, Lebanese authorities have been informed by the Syrian Democratic Forces that there are currently 17 Lebanese ISIS members imprisoned there,” explained the source.
“There isn't a clear process yet on how to bring them back to Lebanon, but questions are being asked and we are seeking more information.”
The Al Hol camp in north-east Syria closed this week. Thousands of alleged ISIS members and their families had been held there for years in inhumane conditions and without charge or trial.
The events that unfolded before it was emptied were described as chaotic. The disorganised handover of the camp from the Syrian Democratic Forces to Syrian government authorities created a power vacuum that allowed for thousands of residents to escape.
Those remaining were moved to a new camp in Aleppo with better conditions. Some of them are children who have never known a life outside Al Hol.
The security official, who spoke on condition of anonymity given the sensitivity of the matter, said 13 women from those who escaped Al Hol have crossed into Lebanon, accompanied by ten children.
“The majority of those women crossed through legal entry points, but some were smuggled into the country,” he added. “Most of them are Syrians. They are currently staying with relatives in northern towns close to the border.”
Early this month, Lebanon and Syria signed an agreement to transfer Syrian prisoners convicted in Lebanon to Damascus, where they will serve the remainder of their sentences.
Damascus and Beirut are seeking a new era in relations, which have long been turbulent and characterised by Syria's dominance over Lebanese affairs and its 1976 to 2005 occupation of Lebanon.
