ISLAMIC STATE TAKING OVER YARMOUK PALESTINIAN REFUGEE CAMP

The tragedy of Yarmouk Palestinian refugee camp in Syria's capital Damascus continues, as the Islamic State, which had taken over part of the camp during the spring of 2015, has during the last seven days advanced against al-Qaeda affiliate al-Nusra Front.

PLO estimates that the Islamic State controls 60 % of the refugee camp, but other estimates are as high as 90-95 %.

Three civilians have been said to have died during the fighting, but Yarmouk Media Network tells of large amount of bodies on the streets and its probably far too optimistic to think that there are no more civilian casualties.

Islamic State at first 'arrived' to Yarmouk mainly through defections from al-Nusra during last spring and again al-Nusra's defeat has been at much through military setbacks as its fighters going over to the Islamic State, which demands that the remaining al-Nusra fighters leave the refugee camp.

The groups have done a small scale prisoner exchange between themselves.

An estimated 6000 civilians still remain in Yarmouk, down from 18 000 - 20 000 from last spring and from the pre-war 160 000, when Yarmouk was known as "the capital of Palestinian civil war".

Many of those who remain fear a fate similar that of photographer Niraz Saied, who was 'disappeared' by Syria's government only a month after escaping Yarmouk in September 2015. Nothing has been heard since of Saied, the award winning chronicler of Yarmouk's suffering.

Among the civilian casualties in the camp during the war are an estimated two hundred people who have starved to death, many of them children and elderly.

A desperate attempt for help has been made by a group of female refugees in the camp to save the camp and its remaining refugees from the Islamic State, but based on the history of Yarmouk since 2011, it has been made in vain.

After last spring's events a very minor part of the camp has been under various Palestinian resistance factions working with the Syrian government forces: Fatah Intifada, PLA and PFLP-GC. Other resistance to al-Nusra and Islamic State has basically dissolved.

Syrian government forces have for years been satisfied with besieging and "containing" Yarmouk, targeting it with heavy weapons, often causing civilian casualties. It's unlikely that they will embark in an attempt to capture the ruins of Yarmouk from the Islamic State in the near future as further advance out of the camp has previously proven impossible for both Free Syrian Army forces and al-Nusra.

PHOTOS:

Yarmouk Media Network
https://www.facebook.com/yarmouk.media/?fref=ts

SOURCES:

All hope lost at Yarmouk Camp as ISIS closes on final neighborhoods
https://www.almasdarnews.com/…/hope-lost-yarmouk-camp-isis…/

Daesh seizes most of Damascus camp from Al Qaeda — PLO
http://www.jordantimes.com/…/daesh-seizes-most-damascus-cam…

Damascus: clashes erupt between ISIS, Nusra in Yarmouk Camp
https://en.zamanalwsl.net/news/15144.html

Fight continues between Nusra Front, ISIS in Yarmouk refugee camp
https://en.zamanalwsl.net/news/15212.html

ISIS takes control of 60% of Yarmouk camp in Damascus
http://rudaw.net/english/middleeast/syria/120420162

PLO: Syria’s Yarmouk camp almost fully controlled by Daesh
http://www.albawaba.com/…/plo-syria%E2%80%99s-yarmouk-camp-…

Syria: ISIS on the brink of seizing Yarmouk Camp in Damascus
http://en.abna24.com/…/middle-east-west-asia/archive/2016/0…

Syria’s Palestinian Yarmouk camp almost fully taken by Daesh: PLO
http://www.presstv.ir/…/syria-daesh-plo-yarmouk-russian-ch…/

THE EYE OF YARMOUK AND THE ANTI-ISIS FIGHTER: THE FATE OF TWO PALESTINIANS FROM YARMOUK REFUGEE CAMP
https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=532016013645971&id=146535155527394

Yarmouk residents: 'Save us from IS'
https://www.alaraby.co.uk/…/yarmouk-residents-save-us-from-…