The US has returned citizens of more than 20 Western countries from a camp for relatives of ISIS terrorists in Syria.

America It was announced there on Tuesday Two dozen Westerners were repatriatedHalf of them are Americans, from A Tens of thousands of relatives of suspected Islamic State militants campThe largest repatriation from the country till date.

In a complex operation in which they participated US agencies, Kuwait And fighters Kurds, The United States repatriated eleven American citizensFive minors, including a nine-year-old boy, the non-American brother of an American, the Secretary of State announced, Anthony Blinken.

In the same process, The US facilitated the repatriation of six Canadian citizensFour Dutch and A FinnishEight of them were minors, he added.

“This is the largest single repatriation of US citizens from northeastern Syria to date.”Blinken said in a statement.

“The only permanent solution Humanitarian and Security Crisis Repatriate, rehabilitate and reintegrate displaced people in camps and detention centers in North-East Syria and, where appropriate, Ensure accountability for crimes committed” he added.

The US has been pressing for a long time European governments to repatriate citizens who have gone to fight for the Islamic State group or to their children.

Most European countries have done soBut despite slow and early reservations, especially in countries with a history of domestic jihadist attacks, France And Britain.

Blinken did not identify the returnees.

He The New York TimesCiting unidentified sources, among them A American woman, Turkish husband He led the family into Islamic State territory and was later killed Nine children.

He Star Tribune Minneapolis reported last week A valuable informant who joined the Islamic State but later demanded the return of the two childrenNot a US citizen raised by his grandparents in Minnesota.

Repatriation remains controversial in the United States as wellWith the former president's administration Donald Trump A high-profile case asserted that a young woman seeking return is not legally a US citizen.

The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), led by the Kurds, helped defeat the group of US forces Islamic State In 2019, his self-proclaimed “caliphate,” which ruled a vast swath of territory in Iraq and Syria, came to an end.

Five years after the militants were driven from their last stronghold, The SDF still holds more than 56,000 prisoners with suspected or suspected links to the Islamic State group. Most are found in Al fields hello And For redIt currently welcomes around 30,000 people from more than 60 countries, the majority of whom are children.

Kurdish officials have asked foreign governments to repatriate their nationals, but Western governments have been slow to respond for fear of internal backlash.

Human rights groups continue to report on what they describe Inhumane living conditions And Malpractice In camps and detention centers for suspected ISIS members.

(With information from AFP and AP)