The Syrian military stated on Tuesday that guards from the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces had left the Al-Hol camp in northeast Syria, enabling thousands of people linked to the Daesh group to escape, according to official military statements issued in Raqqa. The camp is known to house primarily women and children who are relatives of Daesh members or individuals accused of affiliation with the organization, while thousands of alleged Daesh fighters are detained separately in prisons across the region. In response, the SDF confirmed that its guards had withdrawn from the camp, asserting in an official statement that international inaction toward the Daesh issue and the failure of the global community to assume responsibility had contributed to the situation. The SDF further explained that its forces were redeployed to areas surrounding northern Syrian cities facing what it described as increasing risks and threats from government forces, underscoring the broader security deterioration accompanying the collapse of a recent ceasefire arrangement.
Prison escapes, ceasefire collapse, and regional implications for counter-Daesh efforts
Earlier the same day, Syria’s Ministry of Interior announced that 120 Daesh members had escaped from a prison in northeast Syria following clashes between government forces and the SDF, which had been responsible for guarding the facility. The ministry reported that security forces had recaptured 81 of the escapees and that operations were continuing to pursue the remaining individuals and apply legal measures. The escape occurred in the town of Shaddadeh, where the SDF and the Syrian government exchanged accusations over responsibility, reflecting growing tensions after a ceasefire agreement reached on Sunday failed to hold.
The SDF, which is backed by the United States and played a central role in the fight against Daesh, currently controls more than a dozen prisons in northeast Syria holding approximately 9,000 Daesh members who have been detained for years without trial. Many of these detainees are believed to have participated in atrocities in Syria and Iraq after Daesh declared a so-called caliphate in June 2014. Although the group was militarily defeated in Iraq in 2017 and in Syria in 2019, its sleeper cells continue to conduct attacks in both countries.
Under the Sunday agreement, government forces were expected to assume control of the prisons from the SDF, but the transition proved unstable. Clashes on Monday around two detention facilities highlighted the fragility of the deal. The unrest coincided with reports that SDF commander Mazloum Abdi was in Damascus seeking to reinforce the ceasefire, though no public statement followed, and the SDF later called on youth to join what it described as resistance efforts. Amid the escalating tensions, President Ahmad Al-Sharaa postponed a planned visit to Germany, according to official announcements, signaling the broader regional and international repercussions of the renewed instability.