Syrian Authorities Confirm Mass Escape from Al-Hol Camp
Syrian authorities confirmed a mass escape from al-Hol camp following the Kurdish withdrawal, amid violence and chaotic evacuations, as broader security concerns persist over ISIS detainees and their families.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - Syrian authorities confirmed on Wednesday that a mass escape of relatives of suspected ISIS jihadists took place last month at al-Hol camp following the withdrawal of Kurdish forces who had previously overseen the facility.
"When our forces arrived, they found cases of collective escapes due to the camp having been opened up in a haphazard manner," ministry spokesman Noureddine al-Baba said at a press conference.
The confirmation comes after reports of violence and unrest inside the camp in northeastern Syria’s Hasakah province following the Syrian government’s takeover.
Director previously said camp was under full SDF control
Just days before the transfer of control, Jihan Hanan, Director of al-Hol and Roj camps, told Kurdistan24 that the situation inside the facility was “completely under control” under the guard of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the Asayish internal security forces.
Hanan confirmed that food and medicine were available and that containment protocols remained intact despite rapid geopolitical shifts in the region.
However, she warned that the roads leading to al-Hol had become increasingly dangerous, creating serious obstacles for international humanitarian organizations attempting to deliver aid.
“Despite the fact that we are supervising the camp, the roads leading to al-Hol Camp are dangerous,” she told Kurdistan24, highlighting risks to aid routes even as internal security remained stable at the time.
Hanan also stated that families of ISIS members in al-Hol and Roj camps held celebrations following attacks by the Syrian Arab Army on Kurdish fighters, underscoring continued ideological and security challenges inside the facilities.
Violence and security vacuum
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported that dozens of men, women, and children from families of ISIS militants escaped from al-Hol after clashes erupted inside the camp.
According to the monitoring group, ISIS-linked families attacked guards from the Syrian Ministry of Interior forces, creating a security breach that allowed a significant number of individuals to flee to unknown destinations.
The incident triggered heightened tensions inside the camp and raised fears among residents of surrounding areas over the potential movement of escaped individuals.
Al-Hol had been under the control of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) before control was transferred to Damascus in January.
Camp closure and uncertain fate of residents
Syrian authorities later confirmed that al-Hol camp had been fully evacuated and closed following the transfer of control.
According to Human Rights Watch (HRW), the camp’s closure followed a largely unplanned and chaotic departure of residents after Syrian authorities assumed control.
Until mid-January, al-Hol and Roj camps together housed approximately 28,000 people, including thousands of women and children related to suspected ISIS members. Around 12,500 were foreign nationals from more than 60 countries, including approximately 4,000 Iraqis, according to HRW.
Roj camp, which holds around 2,300 foreign women and children, remains under SDF control but is also expected to close.
Separate operation transfers ISIS detainees to Iraq
A senior U.S. intelligence official told Fox News Digital that nearly 6,000 ISIS detainees were transferred from Syria to Iraq in a coordinated operation led by U.S. agencies to prevent a potential mass prison break.
The detainees, previously held under SDF guard, were transported to a facility near Baghdad International Airport under Iraqi authority.
According to the official, instability and clashes in northern Syria had raised fears that thousands of militants could escape and return to the battlefield, potentially leading to what he described as the “instant reconstitution of ISIS.”
While the transfer focused on ISIS fighters, families held in camps such as al-Hol were not included in the operation.
A senior U.S. official said the SDF and the Syrian government had reached an understanding under which Damascus would assume control of al-Hol, adding that it appeared Syrian authorities had decided to release many of those held there — a move he described as “very concerning.”
Fragile security landscape
Counterterrorism officials have long warned that the fate of ISIS-affiliated families in camps such as al-Hol represents one of the most complex and unresolved aspects of Syria’s post-ISIS security landscape, particularly as many children raised in the camps are now approaching fighting age.
The confirmed mass escape and closure of the camp underscore the continuing volatility in northeastern Syria, even as international efforts have focused on preventing a large-scale prison break of hardened ISIS fighters.