Erbil security arrest ISIS member in refugee camp

A suspected Islamic State militant was arrested on Sunday following an investigation after a man was killed in Erbil’s Debaga Camp the night before, Erbil security said.

Erbil security forces (Asayish) said in a statement following the arrest that the culprit was a 15-year-old named Ahmed Khalifa who lived at the camp. Khalifa and four of his friends were reportedly instructed by the Islamic State to kill a civilian living at the camp, the security added.

“The deceased was a displaced person from the surroundings of Shargat district named Yousef Amer, who was found beheaded in the Debaga Camp in Erbil,” the statement informed.  

“Following the discovery of the body, the security forces began their investigation enabling them to capture one of the culprits,” it added.

“The accused will be held responsible in the court of law as the investigation continues to apprehend the rest of the criminals.”   

The Debaga refugee camp in southern Erbil mainly houses Syrian refugees. However, following the Mosul liberation operation, the camp was filled with displaced persons who escaped the battlefield.

Such incidents are uncommon in the Kurdistan Region camps as authorities continuously conduct a thorough screening of displaced citizens to ensure no Islamic State militants hide among civilians upon arrival.

Islamic State sleeper cells have recently increased their activity in the disputed territories between Baghdad and Erbil, exploiting the security void between Kurdish Peshmerga and Iraqi security forces.