The Syrian Interior Ministry has confirmed a mass escape from Al Hol camp following the withdrawal of Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces SDF. The camp housed families of suspected ISIS members including foreign nationals.
The announcement follows the government’s decision to close the facility entirely and transfer the last residents to another site in Aleppo province.
Mass escape triggered by sudden SDF withdrawal
Interior Ministry spokesperson Nour al Din al Baba said during a press briefing in Damascus that the SDF withdrew unexpectedly and without coordination, leaving the camp unsecured for more than six hours before government forces arrived.
He said the sudden pullout resulted in the camp being opened in a disorganized manner which enabled mass escape attempts. Some guards reportedly left their posts with their weapons while internal barriers were removed creating chaos before Syrian security forces intervened.
Discrepancies in resident numbers and breaches in perimeter
According to the ministry, the camp previously held around 23,500 people. Families included Syrians and Iraqis as well as more than 6,500 individuals from 44 foreign nationalities.
Security teams documented more than 138 breaches in the 17 kilometer perimeter fence which helped smuggling networks facilitate unregulated exits. Authorities are conducting a full count due to discrepancies between reported figures and the reality on site.
Authorities tracking escapees and securing the site
The Interior Ministry said most individuals who left the camp irregularly have been located and their legal status settled although no figures were disclosed. Humanitarian sources earlier told AFP that most foreign nationals had already left the camp after SDF forces withdrew.
The SDF continues to run the Roj camp near the Turkish border which hosts about 2,200 relatives of suspected ISIS fighters.
Ministry criticizes harsh conditions in Al Hol
Al Baba described the humanitarian situation in the camp as resembling forced detention with thousands kept for years in harsh desert conditions lacking infrastructure and basic services.
Security operations continue against ISIS cells
Parallel to developments at the camp, the Interior Ministry announced an operation in Mayadin city that led to the arrest of Mahmoud Eid al Ali, identified as a member of ISIS cells involved in killing a soldier from the Ministry of Defense’s 86th Brigade in Deir Ezzor.
Raids and cell dismantling in Raqqa and Deir Ezzor
Interior Minister Anas Khattab said security forces will continue raiding ISIS hideouts. An additional cell in Raqqa was dismantled after an attack that killed four internal security officers and injured two others. The site had been targeted in a similar attack less than 24 hours earlier.
Rising ISIS attacks across eastern Syria
Eastern Syria has witnessed a noticeable increase in ISIS attacks targeting internal security forces and Syrian army positions in Raqqa and Deir Ezzor.
ISIS message calls for escalation
In an audio message, ISIS spokesman Abu Hudhayfa al Ansari claimed Syria had shifted from Iranian control to what he called Turkish American occupation announcing a new phase of operations. Pro ISIS Telegram accounts also urged attacks using motorcycles and small arms indicating potential escalation.
Conclusion:
The Syrian government continues to manage the aftermath of the mass escape from Al Hol camp while intensifying security operations against ISIS cells in eastern Syria amid concerns about renewed militant activity.
