Kurdish Forces Quit Notorious ISIS Camp, Citing International Failure and Rising Threats
The SDF said it was compelled to withdraw from al-Hol camp due to international inaction on ISIS and rising threats, as security deteriorates across northeast Syria following prison breaks and escalating attacks.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - Kurdish-led forces announced a withdrawal from the al-Hol camp in northeast Syria, saying the move was compelled by mounting security threats and what they described as continued international indifference toward the ISIS issue, as pressure intensified across northern Syria.
In an official statement issued by the SDF Media Center on Tuesday, the forces said they had redeployed away from al-Hol camp to focus on protecting cities facing growing dangers.
“Due to the international community’s indifference towards the ISIS issue and its failure to assume its responsibilities in addressing this serious matter, our forces were compelled to withdraw from al-Hol camp and redeploy to areas surrounding cities in northern Syria that are facing increasing dangers and threats,” the statement said.
The statement did not specify the scale or timing of the withdrawal but framed the decision as a response to escalating risks and the need to prioritize security in threatened urban areas.
The announcement comes amid a sharp deterioration in security across northeastern Syria (Western Kurdistan). Syria’s Interior Ministry said nearly 120 ISIS militants escaped from Shaddadi prison in the countryside of Hasakah province after heavy attacks led to a collapse in security at the detention facility, which was under the administrative and military control of the Syrian Democratic Forces.
According to a statement based on field sources, intense assaults on the prison caused a breakdown in security conditions, allowing a large number of detained ISIS members to flee. Damascus warned that the escape of what it described as “highly dangerous” ISIS elements poses a serious threat to national security and regional stability.
Shaddadi prison is considered one of the most significant detention centers holding ISIS inmates in northeastern Syria and has become a focal point of clashes in recent days. The SDF had previously acknowledged losing control of the facility due to the intensity of the attacks and the absence of sufficient international support.
The incident coincided with other attacks targeting ISIS detention facilities in Raqqa and Hasakah, raising concerns about the potential reorganization and resurgence of ISIS cells.
In a separate statement, the Democratic Syrian Council warned of a sharp deterioration in security and military conditions across northern and eastern Syria. The council said the region is witnessing a dangerous escalation driven by attacks carried out by Syrian armed groups operating under the umbrella of the so-called interim government. According to the council, these attacks explicitly target Kurdish civilians and local defense forces.
The council urged the international community to set clear limits on these attacks, warning that they undermine stability and risk reigniting terrorist threats.
Meanwhile, the SDF, in coordination with the Women’s Protection Units (YPJ), reported repelling a series of intense attacks by armed groups affiliated with Damascus near the town of Sirrin, south of Kobane. The SDF Media Center said direct clashes were ongoing and resulted in heavy losses among the attackers.
Official figures released Tuesday said seven military vehicles belonging to the attacking groups were completely destroyed, while four armored vehicles were damaged and taken out of service. The SDF and YPJ also said they shot down four attacking drones during five consecutive attacks targeting Sirrin’s countryside.
Sirrin, located south of Kobane, holds strategic geographic importance and has been repeatedly targeted in recent days. The SDF said its forces remain on high alert to repel any attempts at territorial advances and stressed that maintaining regional stability remains a top operational priority.
The SDF’s withdrawal from al-Hol underscores the growing strain on Kurdish-led forces as security challenges multiply across northern and eastern Syria, with detention facilities, frontlines, and civilian areas all coming under intensified pressure.