SDF Accuses Damascus of Direct Involvement in Transfer and Smuggling of ISIS Families from al-Hol Camp
On Wednesday, the SDF accused Damascus of direct involvement in transferring ISIS families from al-Hol camp, saying its withdrawal was forced to prevent bloodshed after military escalation.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) on Wednesday, accused Damascus of direct involvement in the transfer and smuggling of ISIS families from al-Hol camp, stating that its withdrawal from the facility was a forced decision aimed at preventing bloodshed and stopping the camp from turning into an open battlefield.
In a strongly worded statement, the SDF Media Center responded to remarks issued by the Interior Ministry spokesperson of the Damascus government, placing primary responsibility for the unrest at al-Hol camp and the escape of ISIS-affiliated families on authorities in Damascus.
The SDF said the recent developments were preceded by direct attacks and military mobilizations by factions affiliated with Damascus toward the camp, with clashes reaching its outer walls. These escalations, it added, coincided with coordinated movements inside the camp by families of ISIS members seeking to incite chaos.
“In the face of this deliberate escalation, and amid suspicious international silence, our forces were compelled to withdraw to avoid turning the camp into an open war zone,” the statement said.
According to the SDF, following its withdrawal, those factions entered the camp and began removing families of ISIS members in front of cameras operated by the same elements. The smuggling operations continued openly and were documented for more than a week, under the supervision and protection of members of the Defense and Interior ministries of the Damascus government.
“These facts are documented by audio and video evidence and cannot be erased by misleading media statements,” the statement added.
The SDF stressed that over the years it had fulfilled its humanitarian, moral, and security responsibilities in managing the camp, despite the complexity of the file, limited support, and persistent security challenges. It said its primary objective had been to protect residents and prevent the re-emergence of ISIS cells inside or outside the camp.
The force described the Interior Ministry spokesperson’s remarks as irresponsible and linked them to political efforts to mislead public opinion and divert attention from security and administrative gaps that accompanied the period during which Damascus-affiliated factions controlled the camp.
The SDF reaffirmed that its withdrawal was a direct result of the military assault and mobilization targeting the camp and its surroundings by Damascus, and that the removal and smuggling of ISIS families took place after the entry of Damascus factions and their direct involvement in those operations.
Syrian authorities confirmed that a mass escape of relatives of suspected ISIS members occurred at al-Hol camp last month following the withdrawal of Kurdish forces who had previously overseen the facility.
Interior Ministry spokesperson Noureddine al-Baba said at a press conference: “When our forces arrived, they found cases of collective escapes due to the camp having been opened up in a haphazard manner.”
The confirmation followed reports of violence and unrest inside the camp in northeastern Syria’s Hasaka province after the Syrian government took control.
The SDF statement on Feb. 25 directly challenges that account, asserting that the chaos and subsequent transfers occurred after Damascus-aligned factions entered the camp.