IS ‘terrorists’ escaping Kurdish jails, says paper
Jihadists of Islamic State are taking advantage of the Turkish offensive in northern Syria and breaking out of jail, although the whereabouts of Swiss Jihadists is unclear, says the NZZ am Sonntag newspaper.
This content was published on
2 minutes
swissinfo/jc
Five IS “terrorists” have already broken out of jail, and IS-linked women being held in the massive Al-Hol camp tried to stage a mass breakout on Friday, the paper writes. Their Kurdish guards, faced with the Turkish attack, are deserting their posts, it says.
Kurdish authorities announced on Sunday that hundreds of IS-linked women and children have fled the Ain Issa camp in northern Syria.
NZZ am Sonntag says the whereabouts of Swiss Jihadists, some of whom are being held in northern Syria, is not clear. A woman from Geneva with three daughters is reported to be in the al-Roj camp in the eastern Kurdish region, it writes.
The paper also reports growing pressure from Swiss politicians for sanctions against Turkey, including an end to the free trade agreement between the two countries approved by parliament this summer.
On Saturday, several thousand Kurds and their supporters demonstrated in Zurich against the Turkish offensive in Kurdish areas of northern Syria, which began on Wednesday. Demonstrations have also been held in other Swiss cities, including one in Bern on Friday where Turkish property was damaged.
Turkey’s President Erdogan has said he wants to create a “safe zone” in northern Syria free of Kurdish militias which Turkey sees as terrorists. Erdogen says the zone could also be home to more than 3 million Syrian refugees currently in Turkey.
Young undocumented migrants gain easier access to vocational training
This content was published on
Rejected asylum-seekers and young undocumented migrants in Switzerland will have easier access to basic vocational training from June 1.
Migration: Swiss government wants to shorten reunification period for families
This content was published on
Family members of people temporarily admitted to Switzerland should in future be able to join them after two years instead of three.
This content was published on
2023 was a record year for the Rhaetian Railway in several respects. Never before has the narrow-gauge railway in Graubünden, eastern Switzerland, transported so many passengers and cars.
Swiss CFOs much more optimistic despite global uncertainty
This content was published on
The main concerns of business leaders in Switzerland are geopolitical uncertainty and the important trading partners Germany and China.
Record organ donation in Switzerland despite high rejection rates
This content was published on
More organ donations were recorded in Switzerland in 2023 than ever before. This was despite a high rejection rate of 58% by surviving relatives.
This content was published on
Seven years after the death of record-breaking Swiss mountain climber Ueli Steck, his estate is going to the Alpine Museum of Switzerland in Bern.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Swiss foreign minister criticises Turkish offensive in Syria
This content was published on
Ignazio Cassis has criticised the Turkish military operation in northern Syria calling it a flagrant violation of international law.
This content was published on
The Swiss government has rejected calls to actively repatriate Islamic militants with Swiss nationality from Syria or Iraq.
What should be done with foreigners who joined Islamic State?
This content was published on
A look at the options and the challenges for states when dealing with citizens who have been linked to the Islamic State.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.