Schools under ISIS control: From Educational Beacons to Factories of Death”

Stories from the series Returning from Death, collected by ASO News Network, show the tragedy of civilians who suffered pain during the period of ISIS rule, realistic novels and stories that express the extent of terrorism and extremism in affecting the structure of society.

“Back from death”

A series of testimonies from the heart of the tragedy… Civilians who died under ISIS rule in North-East Syria

A series of special reports produced by the ASO News Network, published for the first time consecutively, highlighting the terrible violations that the city of Tabqa witnessed during the period of ISIS control.

Horrific stories from eyewitnesses who lived through the terrorist organization’s nightmare, where families were subjected to the harshest types of physical and psychological torture; From humiliating punishments that waste human dignity, to dark prisons from which only a few emerge alive, and ending with the destruction of schools and turning them into death factories.

We share with you these living testimonies to highlight the extent of the suffering and pain, and to present a true picture of what happened during that dark period.
All rights reserved to ASO News Network
Northeast Syria 2024

From Al-Tapqa written by: Hassan Al-Ahmad

Under ISIS control of Tabqa, schools and educational facilities were transformed into training camps and factories for producing car bombs and explosive devices, destroying the educational infrastructure and turning these institutions into tools for spreading terrorism and chaos.

During the period of ISIS and armed groups’ control over Tabqa, schools were used as tools to impose dominance, as students were expelled and buildings were removed from their original purpose, which wasو to receive students and spread education and morals. These facilities were transformed into sites for spreading destruction and devastation. Armed groups looted schools of their contents, such as desks, blackboards, windows and furniture, and banned education in the area.

When ISIS emerged in late 2013, it used schools such as the Industrial School, Al-Uruba School, Ibn Sina School and Ibn Zaydoun School as its headquarters, and a starting point for controlling the city and expelling the rest of the other factions. By January 18, 2014, ISIS had taken complete control of Tabqa City.

After imposing its control over the city, ISIS used schools as military and administrative headquarters. Weapons depots, and factories for producing car bombs and explosive devices. Some schools were converted into training camps for the so-called “Cubs of the Caliphate”, and others into headquarters for “Al-Hisbah” and “Security Police” affiliated with the organization.

The Industrial School near Al-Maqasem neighborhood was the largest and most dangerous school in Tabqa during the ISIS era. The school was completely destroyed because it was used as a factory for producing explosives, due to the presence of educational equipment and tools such as lathes and mechanical and blacksmithing equipment, which were used to armour car bombs. The school’s isolated location from homes made it an ideal centre for producing weapons and explosives.

An eyewitness (M.S.) who lived near the school, stated that the organisation used to enter and exit the school in its cars, and the witnesses would notice the car bombs coming out of it. One day, he saw a fully armoured “Hummer” car leaving the school, and he knew that the car was loaded with explosives and heading north towards the market area.

The witness confirmed that he felt very afraid and avoided passing near the Industrial School until the school was targeted in March 2017. It was completely destroyed, in addition to the adjacent school health building that the organization used as the headquarters of the so-called Zakat Office.

Mohammed Al-Ahmad (a pseudonym) was imprisoned in Al-Uruba School near the Church Roundabout for three days on charges of selling cigarettes. The organization used the school as a headquarters for “Al-Hisbah”, where there was a prison on the second floor and interrogation and torture rooms on the lower floor.

In the kindergarten near the water tank south of the city, the organization used the kindergarten as a factory for booby-trapping cars and explosive devices. An explosion of unknown origin inside the kindergarten destroyed parts of it. Eyewitnesses to the incident told ASO News Network at the time that the explosion was the result of a mistake in booby-trapping one of the cars, given that there were no traces of an air strike at the time, according to them.

According to statistics obtained by ASO News Network from the Education Authority in Tabqa Canton, the total number of schools completely destroyed due to military operations during the ISIS era was 16, and 19 schools were partially destroyed.