Fighting broke out on Monday between the Syrian government and Kurdish-led forces over the future of thousands of Islamic State detainees held in prisons and camps across northeast Syria, even as government troops advanced into parts of the region following the announcement of a new ceasefire arrangement.
At the heart of the confrontation are detention centres that have for years been operated by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). These facilities house suspected members of Islamic State and their families, many of whom are foreign nationals. Control of the prisons and camps has long been a sensitive and contentious issue involving Damascus, Kurdish authorities, and several foreign governments whose citizens remain detained there.
A ceasefire deal announced on Sunday between the Syrian government and Kurdish officials provides for the integration of the Kurdish-run administration into the Syrian state. Crucially, the agreement includes provisions that would transfer authority over IS detention facilities, refugee camps, and the security forces guarding them to the central government. Under the terms of the deal, Damascus would take on what it described as “full legal and security responsibility” for these sites.
However, despite the formal announcement, the situation on the ground quickly became confused, with sharply differing accounts from the two sides. Kurdish officials told AFP that the Shadadi prison in Hasakeh, which holds thousands of IS detainees, came under repeated attack by factions aligned with the Syrian government. They said the facility briefly slipped out of SDF control during the clashes.
According to the SDF, the fighting around Shadadi resulted in casualties among its fighters and created disorder that endangered the security of the prison and raised fears of possible escapes. Syrian authorities, however, rejected that account and accused Kurdish forces of intentionally releasing detainees. They claimed government troops had intervened to secure the facility and were conducting operations to locate and recapture any escapees.
Tensions also escalated in neighbouring Raqa province. The SDF reported clashes near the Al-Aqtan prison, another detention site holding IS fighters as well as local Arab tribal detainees. The Kurdish-led force said the confrontations left nine of its members dead and 20 others wounded.
An AFP journalist at the scene reported a heavy security deployment but did not witness active fighting at the time. Government security personnel and armoured vehicles were positioned around the prison, with armed guards stationed on rooftops. Two warplanes, believed to be part of the US-led anti-IS coalition, were seen patrolling the skies above the area, underscoring the international sensitivity of the situation.
Syrian state media outlet SANA reported that military police had been deployed around the prison to “secure it,” reinforcing Damascus’ narrative that its forces were acting to stabilise the area rather than disrupt detention operations.
The clashes have once again drawn attention to the Al-Hol camp in Hasakeh province, a sprawling detention complex that remains under Kurdish control despite the nearby presence of government forces. Nearly seven years after IS lost its last territorial stronghold in Syria, more than 24,000 people are still held at the camp.
According to camp director Jihan Hanan, the detainee population includes roughly 15,000 Syrians, 3,500 Iraqis, and over 6,000 foreign nationals. A high-security section of the camp houses women and children from countries outside Syria and Iraq, many of whom are considered potential long-term security risks, making Al-Hol one of the most volatile and politically sensitive sites in the region.
