In the complex mosaic of the new Syria, the old battle against the group calling itself Islamic State (IS) continues in the Kurdish-controlled north-east. It's a conflict that has slipped from the headlines - with bigger wars elsewhere.
But Kurdish counter-terrorism officials have told the BBC that IS cells in Syria are regrouping and increasing their attacks.
Walid Abdul-Basit Sheikh Mousa was obsessed with motorbikes and finally managed to buy one in January. The 21-year-old only had a few weeks to enjoy it. He was killed in February fighting against IS in north-eastern Syria.
Walid was so keen to take on the extremists that he ran away from home, aged 15, to join the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). They brought him back because he was a minor, but accepted him three years later.
Generations of his extended family gathered in the yard of their home in the city of Qamishli to tell us about his short life.
I see him everywhere, said his mother, Rojin Mohammed. He left me with so many memories. He was very caring and affectionate.
Walid was one of eight children, and the youngest of the boys. He could always get around his mum. When he wanted something, he would come and kiss me, she recalls.
The young fighter was killed during days of battle near a strategic dam - his body found by his cousin who searched the front lines. Through tears, his mother calls for revenge against IS.
They broke our hearts, she says. We buried so many of our young. May Daesh (IS) be wiped out completely, she says. I hope not one of them is left.
However, the Islamic State Group is recruiting and reorganising - according to Kurdish officials, taking advantage of a security vacuum after the ousting of Syria's long-time dictator Bashar al-Assad last December.
There's been a 10-fold increase in their attacks, says Siyamend Ali, a spokesman for the People's Protection Units (YPG) - a Kurdish militia, which has been fighting IS for over a decade, and is the backbone of the SDF.
The Kurdish authorities are holding around 8,000 suspects from 48 countries, including the UK, US, Russia, and Australia, in prisons in the northeast, many of whom have never been tried or convicted. Al-Sina prison, the largest facility for IS suspects, houses these detainees under harsh and isolating conditions. Despite their confinement, reports suggest that IS influences persist in prison, complicating efforts to maintain order and security.
The renewed strength of IS is raising concerns both locally and internationally, especially as children born and raised in captivity inherit the ideologies of their parents. As the world watches, the situation in Syria, particularly in these camps and jails, remains a critical focal point in the ongoing battle against extremism.
But Kurdish counter-terrorism officials have told the BBC that IS cells in Syria are regrouping and increasing their attacks.
Walid Abdul-Basit Sheikh Mousa was obsessed with motorbikes and finally managed to buy one in January. The 21-year-old only had a few weeks to enjoy it. He was killed in February fighting against IS in north-eastern Syria.
Walid was so keen to take on the extremists that he ran away from home, aged 15, to join the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). They brought him back because he was a minor, but accepted him three years later.
Generations of his extended family gathered in the yard of their home in the city of Qamishli to tell us about his short life.
I see him everywhere, said his mother, Rojin Mohammed. He left me with so many memories. He was very caring and affectionate.
Walid was one of eight children, and the youngest of the boys. He could always get around his mum. When he wanted something, he would come and kiss me, she recalls.
The young fighter was killed during days of battle near a strategic dam - his body found by his cousin who searched the front lines. Through tears, his mother calls for revenge against IS.
They broke our hearts, she says. We buried so many of our young. May Daesh (IS) be wiped out completely, she says. I hope not one of them is left.
However, the Islamic State Group is recruiting and reorganising - according to Kurdish officials, taking advantage of a security vacuum after the ousting of Syria's long-time dictator Bashar al-Assad last December.
There's been a 10-fold increase in their attacks, says Siyamend Ali, a spokesman for the People's Protection Units (YPG) - a Kurdish militia, which has been fighting IS for over a decade, and is the backbone of the SDF.
The Kurdish authorities are holding around 8,000 suspects from 48 countries, including the UK, US, Russia, and Australia, in prisons in the northeast, many of whom have never been tried or convicted. Al-Sina prison, the largest facility for IS suspects, houses these detainees under harsh and isolating conditions. Despite their confinement, reports suggest that IS influences persist in prison, complicating efforts to maintain order and security.
The renewed strength of IS is raising concerns both locally and internationally, especially as children born and raised in captivity inherit the ideologies of their parents. As the world watches, the situation in Syria, particularly in these camps and jails, remains a critical focal point in the ongoing battle against extremism.
