U.S. general urges faster repatriation of IS families in Syria camp

General Michael "Erik" Kurilla , Commander of U.S. Central Command, speaks during a news conference to showcase current Eager Lion military exercises in Jordan, in Amman's Marka air base, Jordan September 12, 2022. REUTERS/Jehad Shelbak

The repatriation and reintegration of thousands of families of Islamic State militants languishing in a Kurdish-run detention camp in northeast Syria should be speeded up, the top U.S. general in the Middle East said on Monday.

General Michael “Erik” Kurilla, who leads U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), said many of the residents of al Hol camp were families of IS members who had fled Islamic State's final enclave of Baghouz in Syria in 2019. A majority of the residents are women and children.