Kurdish Forces Withdraw from Al-Hol Camp Amid Ongoing Clashes in Syria

Wed Jan 21 2026 14:42:19 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have withdrawn from Al-Hol camp, which houses thousands of individuals linked to the Islamic State, citing international indifference as clashes with Syrian government forces persist.

The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have announced their withdrawal from Al-Hol camp, a facility holding approximately 20,000 people with alleged connections to the Islamic State. The move comes amid clashes with Syrian government forces and an ongoing ceasefire agreement. The SDF stated that their decision to redeploy was compelled by a lack of international support for the IS issue. The withdrawal has drawn condemnation from the Syrian interior ministry for being uncoordinated, while suspected IS fighters reportedly took advantage of the turmoil to escape a nearby prison.

The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) says it has withdrawn from a camp holding thousands of people with alleged links to the jihadist group Islamic State (IS), as clashes with the Syrian government continue despite a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 said 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 any coordination with the government or US-led coalition against IS.

This development follows incidents where suspected IS fighters escaped from the nearby Shaddadi prison amid intensifying clashes between government forces and the SDF.

The Syrian interior ministry reported that 120 detainees broke out of Shaddadi prison, although soldiers had arrested 81 of them shortly after.

In contrast, the SDF claimed that the government forces had facilitated the escape of 1,500 detainees after losing control of the facility. Reports indicate that the al-Aqtan prison near Raqqa is also under attack and facing water supply issues.

Following nearly two weeks of conflict, the militia's alliance has agreed to transfer control of the Kurdish-run autonomous region in northeastern Syria to the government, which includes its prisons and camps. The agreement mandates the withdrawal of the SDF's vast number of fighters from Raqqa and Deir al-Zour, with plans for their integration into the state’s defense and interior ministries.

This agreement represents a significant loss for the SDF, which has been hesitant to relinquish the autonomy it gained while collaborating with US-led coalition forces in the fight against IS during Syria’s protracted civil war.

Since the rebel offensive that ousted Bashar al-Assad in December 2024, President Ahmed al-Sharaa has pledged to reunify Syria, yet the nation continues to grapple with deep divisions and recurring sectarian violence.