France, under pressure from humanitarian organizations, proceeded on Tuesday to repatriate 15 women and 32 children held in jihadist prison camps in northeastern Syria, France Presse reports, Agerpres reads.

„The minors have been handed over to the services responsible for the maintenance of children and will be subject to medical and social monitoring”, stated the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which led the operation, in a statement.

„The adults were handed over to the competent judicial authorities,” the statement added.

This is the third large-scale repatriation operation after the one on July 5, 2022, when France repatriated 16 mothers and 35 minors, and the one in October that allowed the return of 15 women and 40 children.

The women and children repatriated on Tuesday were in the Roj camp under Kurdish administration, located about fifteen kilometers from the borders with Iraq and Turkey.

France was particularly hit by jihadist attacks, especially in 2015, committed by the Islamic State organization.

The French authorities thanked „the local administration in northeastern Syria for the cooperation that made this operation possible.”

The operation took place shortly after the UN Committee against Torture condemned France for not repatriating French citizens from prison camps in northeastern Syria.

Agerpres