The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) says it has withdrawn from a camp holding thousands of people with alleged links to the jihadist group Islamic State (IS), as clashes with the Syrian government continue despite a ceasefire agreement.
The SDF stated its forces were 'compelled to withdraw' from al-Hol camp and redeploy to other cities in northern Syria 'due to the international indifference toward the issue of [IS]'.
The Syrian interior ministry condemned the move, stating it took place without coordination with the government or the US-led coalition against IS.
This escalation follows an incident where suspected IS fighters escaped from the nearby Shaddadi prison during clashes between government forces and the SDF.
The interior ministry reported that 120 detainees broke out of the SDF-run Shaddadi prison on Monday, with soldiers and police managing to recapture 81 of them.
Additionally, the SDF claimed that government forces had freed 1,500 detainees after it lost control of the prison. They also mentioned that al-Aqtan prison near Raqqa was under shelling and was lacking water.
On Sunday, the militia alliance agreed to transition control of the Kurdish-run autonomous region in the northeast to the government, including its prisons and camps, as part of a deal aimed at ending nearly two weeks of fighting.
This agreement represents a significant setback for the SDF, which has been reluctant to surrender the autonomy it gained while assisting US-led coalition forces in defeating IS during Syria's prolonged civil war.
President Ahmed al-Sharaa has committed to reunifying Syria following the rebel offensive that ousted Bashar al-Assad in December 2024, but the country remains deeply divided and plagued by violent sectarian conflicts.
