ISIS Detainee Camp Abandoned as Syrian Army, Kurdish Forces Agree to New Ceasefire

by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Chief International Correspondent

RAQQA, Syria (Worthy News) – Guards from the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) withdrew Tuesday from the sprawling al-Hol detention camp in northeast Syria, triggering accusations from Damascus that the move allowed Islamic State-linked detainees to escape, as fighting between the two sides pushed the country closer to renewed instability.

The withdrawal came amid two weeks of clashes between Syrian government forces and the SDF following the collapse of negotiations over a U.S.-brokered deal to merge Kurdish-led forces into the national military. Hours after the camp evacuation, both sides announced a new four-day ceasefire to halt the violence and reopen talks.

Syria’s Interior Ministry accused the SDF of deliberately allowing the release of detainees affiliated with the Islamic State, describing the camps and prisons as being used as leverage to “sow chaos and destabilize the region.” The SDF acknowledged withdrawing its guards from al-Hol but did not confirm whether detainees escaped, citing what it called international indifference to the ongoing ISIS threat.

Al-Hol, one of the most sensitive security flashpoints in the Middle East, houses tens of thousands of women and children linked to ISIS fighters. According to Kurdish camp officials, the facility currently holds about 24,000 people, including roughly 6,500 foreign nationals confined to a high-security annex considered home to the group’s most radical supporters.

The Syrian Defense Ministry said it stands ready to assume control of al-Hol and other detention facilities, while accusing the SDF of using ISIS prisoners as bargaining chips during negotiations.

Tensions escalated further after Syrian authorities reported that 120 ISIS members escaped on Monday from a prison in the northeastern town of Shaddadeh amid fighting. Syrian officials said most had been recaptured, while the SDF blamed Damascus-affiliated factions for creating the conditions that led to the breakout. The SDF also accused pro-government forces of cutting water supplies to another prison near Raqqa, calling it a violation of humanitarian standards.

The SDF currently oversees more than a dozen prisons in northeast Syria holding an estimated 9,000 ISIS fighters, many detained for years without trial. Though ISIS lost its territorial caliphate in Iraq in 2017 and Syria in 2019, sleeper cells continue to carry out deadly attacks in both countries.

A U.S. Central Command official said American forces are closely monitoring the situation, underscoring Washington’s concern that instability could fuel an ISIS resurgence.

U.S. envoy to Syria Tom Barrack signaled a clear shift in American policy, urging the SDF to complete its integration into the Syrian state and warning that Washington would not back continued fighting.

“The original purpose of the SDF as the primary anti-ISIS force on the ground has largely expired,” Barrack said, adding that Damascus is now positioned to assume responsibility for detention facilities and camps.

The remarks reflect the Trump administration’s broader recalibration toward Syria’s new leadership following the 2024 ouster of Bashar al-Assad. President Donald Trump publicly backed interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa this week, describing him as capable of restoring order in a fractured country.

The latest ceasefire, announced Tuesday evening, opens a narrow window for renewed dialogue. Syrian officials said Kurdish leaders were given four days to consult on a detailed plan for integrating Kurdish-administered areas of Hasakeh province into the state, while limiting the immediate presence of government forces in Kurdish-majority cities.

Despite the truce, tensions remain high. Kurdish residents in Hasakeh and Qamishli were seen taking up arms in support of the SDF, vowing not to surrender. Meanwhile, Syrian army reinforcements moved toward the northeast, and clashes spilled over the border into Turkey, where pro-Kurdish protests erupted.

As the fate of al-Hol and thousands of ISIS-linked detainees hangs in the balance, regional and Western officials warn that failure to secure the camps could have consequences far beyond Syria’s borders.

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