Almost 800 women and children affiliated with Islamic state flee camp they are being held

Almost 800 women affiliated with Islamic State and their children have fled a camp where they were being held in northern Syria after shelling by Turkish forces.

The region's Kurdish-led administration said in a statement that 785 IS-affiliated foreigners had fled the camp at Ain Issa.

In apparent reference to Turkish-backed rebels, the Kurdish-led administration said 'mercenaries' attacked the camp where 'Daesh elements' - a reference to Islamic State - in turn attacked camp guards and opened the gates.


Images shared by the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights appear to picture people running away from the Ain Issa.

It is believed the ISIS 'matchmaker' Tooba Gondal, 25, from Walthamstow, north London, was in the camp with her two children after she was caught trying to get to Turkey following the fall of Baghuz.

Turkey's cross-border attack in northern Syria against Kurdish forces widened to target the town of Suluk which was hit by Ankara's Syrian rebel allies. There were conflicting accounts on the outcome of the fighting.

Turkey is facing threats of possible sanctions from the US unless it calls off the incursion. Two of its NATO allies, Germany and France, have said they are halting weapons exports to Turkey. The Arab League has denounced the operation.