Politics Fighting in Syria - IS camp al-Hol "boiling" from the inside
Amid ongoing tensions in northern Syria between Kurdish militias and government troops, there is growing concern about escapes and uncontrolled releases of imprisoned Islamic State (IS) fighters.
19.01.2026, 16:54
SDA
The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have been fighting alongside a US-led coalition against IS since the Syrian civil war. The terrorist militia once controlled large areas in Syria and elsewhere. Today it is considered militarily defeated. Tens of thousands of its fighters are now in prisons controlled by the SDF in north-eastern Syria.
Al-Hol camp "boiling" from the inside
According to the Kurdish self-administration in northern and eastern Syria, there have already been escape attempts in several IS prisons in the course of the current fighting between the SDF and government troops and groups allied with them. A person in charge of the notorious al-Hol camp near the Iraqi border told the news agency DPA that the camp is currently "boiling" from the inside.
According to information from Damascus, a ceasefire should have been in place since yesterday following renewed fighting. According to the agreement, the transitional government should also take control of the IS camps and prisons. "If the handover of prisons, especially those containing IS fighters or their family members, is not monitored, these people can easily become ticking time bombs later on," said the person in charge. There is a risk of escape or uncontrolled releases.
Kurdish officials fear that a loss of control over the prisons could destabilize the entire region. SDF spokesman Farhad Shami said that forces allied with the government had released prisoners in Dair as-Saur. The Syrian government rejected these accusations.
Fighting near al-Shaddadi prison
According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an IS prison near al-Shaddadi was attacked by armed groups. There were fierce clashes with Kurdish security personnel, said the director of the UK-based organization. Rami Abdel-Rahman, told dpa. The SDF accused factions allied with Damascus of having tried to attack the prison on several occasions. There are said to have been deaths and injuries. Thousands of IS fighters are housed in the prison.
The state news agency Sana reported, citing the army, that the military had advanced into the city of al-Shaddadi. The army accused the SDF of releasing IS members from the prison there.
