How Thousands are Leaving IS' Last Syria Holdout

The journey out of the Islamic State group's last holdout in eastern Syria begins with a steep climb eastwards, towards a position manned by U.S.-backed forces. 

The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) has plucked thousands of people out of the enclave in five batches since February 20.

Here's a detailed look at the complex process, part anti-terrorist operation and part humanitarian evacuation:

- Baghouz - 

Holdout IS fighters and civilians, mostly relatives of jihadists, are trapped in less than half a square kilometer in the village of Baghouz near the Iraqi border.

They are besieged and crammed in a makeshift riverside camp.

To the north and west of the settlement, jihadists and their relatives are surrounded by the SDF. 

Iraqi forces are positioned across the border, to the east of the shrinking pocket.

Syrian government forces are based across the river, on the western banks of the Euphrates, in the towns of Mayadin and Albu Kamal.

- Civilian collection point- 

In the past week, jihadists have allowed men, women and children, especially the wounded, to leave, several evacuees have told AFP.

Those wanting to escape walk up a steep incline towards a hilltop on the eastern outskirts of the village, where the SDF has opened a corridor for civilians.

At the civilian collection point, they are taken in double-trailer trucks to a screening outpost 20 kilometers north (12 miles).

- Screening point -

The SDF screening point is an open-air position located in a rocky and arid plain. Only a handful of tents are erected in the area.

Members of the U.S.-led international coalition backing the SDF stroll around the area, but it is not immediately clear what their role is in the screening process.

They are often seen displaying pictures of wanted foreigners to evacuees. 

An AFP correspondant also saw them using retina scans to identify potential jihadists. 

SDF fighters start sorting new arrivals as soon as they disembark from evacuation trucks.

The men and women are shuffled into separate queues, where they wait to be searched by SDF fighters.

The Kurdish-led force scrupulously inspects baggages and belongings carried by all new arrivals, confiscating weapons, phones and other electronic devices.

The women who are usually veiled from head to toe are required to reveal their faces to female SDF fighters.

The men are all required to record their fingerprints with a small digital reader. The SDF also take their photo, and jot down their name and nationality.

Suspected fighters among them are then singled out for further interrogation. 

The SDF only takes pictures and fingerprints of foreign women, not Syrians and Iraqis. 

Following initial search and registration procedures, the SDF then separate the foreigners from the rest of the arrivals. 

- Camps and detention centers -

After being vetted, women, children, and men not suspected of belonging to the extremist group are transported north to Kurdish-run camps for the displaced.

Most are trucked to the Al-Hol camp in Syria's Hasakeh province, which hosts more than 50,000 displaced persons.

The overpopulated settlement contains a special section designated for foreigners, mainly wives of suspected jihadists and their children.

Unlike the rest of the displaced population in the camp, these women are not allowed to exit the shelter.

A smaller number of civilians are trucked to the Roj camp, also in Hasakeh province, which hosts more than 1,500 people and the Ain Issa camp, which hosts more than 12,000.

Meanwhile, suspected combatants are sent to SDF detention centers, also located in northeastern Syria.

Their exact locations are not all known.

The Kurds say their prisons are overflowing.

Beyond routine interrogation procedures, SDF fighters inspect suspects for a callus on a trigger finger or marks on the shoulder from carrying a cartridge pouch.

They also cross-reference names and nationalities with a list of wanted jihadists.