Interior Ministry spokesperson Noureddine al-Baba said Syrian forces were surprised by the withdrawal of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) from Al-Hol camp more than six hours before the Syrian army arrived to assume control.
Al-Hol, the largest camp for relatives of suspected ISIS militants in northeastern Syria, had been under the control of the SDF. But last month, Syrian troops drove Kurdish forces from swathes of the north, sparking questions over the fate of the ISIS prisoners and their families.
Al-Baba noted that much of what has been reported about Al-Hol camp requires careful verification due to what he described as “exaggerations.” He confirmed that a number of those who had fled the camp were returned and had their legal status regularized.
His remarks came as the Interior Ministry announced the launch of two security operations against ISIS cells in the provinces of Raqqa and Deir Ezzor, following several attacks by the group on Syrian forces.
Security Plan in Hasakah
At a press conference, al-Baba said the ministry had prepared a comprehensive security deployment plan to secure Hasakah province, coinciding with the entry of Syrian army units last month.
The move was part of the implementation of an agreement between the Syrian government and the SDF aimed at ensuring stability and enforcing the terms of their understanding.
However, shortly before Syrian army units reached the outskirts of Al-Hol camp, “we were surprised” by what he described as an uncoordinated SDF withdrawal more than six hours earlier.
Al-Baba said the ministry followed up on the cases of those who left the camp in an unorganized manner, adding that most had been returned and their legal status settled. The families have been transferred to an alternative site offering improved humanitarian conditions and easier access.
He added that coordination is ongoing with relevant international and local organizations to verify the identities of individuals who lost documentation, determine where the documents were lost, and match records with civil registries. Work is also underway to establish a unified national database covering all of Syria.
European Concerns
A memo, sent from the Cyprus presidency of the Council of the European Union to member states and dated February 23, said the status of third-country nationals who had fled Al-Hol remained unclear and that it was reported that a majority of them had escaped.
"This raises concerns about how terrorist groups might seek to capitalize on the current situation to increase recruitment efforts among escapees," said the memo, which was reviewed by Reuters.
Earlier, Human Rights Watch cautioned that the security vacuum had allowed suspected ISIS affiliates to escape, exposing women and children to serious risks, including trafficking, exploitation, and recruitment by armed groups.
“Children, Women and the Elderly”
Al-Baba described conditions inside the camp upon its handover as “shocking and resembling a forced detention camp,” where thousands of people had been held for years under harsh conditions in a semi-desert area lacking basic infrastructure.
He said that 70 percent of detainees were children, women and elderly people, most of them Syrians and Iraqis. “They are civilians displaced from areas of fighting and were forcibly detained on the pretext of affiliation with ISIS,” he stated.
Al-Baba added that around 6,500 detainees from 44 non-Syrian nationalities were being held at the camp, noting discrepancies between commonly circulated figures and the actual numbers.
He stressed that all information circulated about the camp requires thorough investigation and verification due to what he described as exaggerations regarding the number of residents. Accurate figures and data, he said, will be disclosed once the verification process is completed.
Background on Al-Hol
Al-Hol camp, located in Hasakah province near the Iraqi border, has been one of the main detention centers for families of ISIS fighters captured during the US-led international coalition campaign against the group in Syria.
The camp had been under SDF control from 2015 until January 20 of this year, when it was handed over to the Syrian government following its takeover of most areas in eastern and northern Syria.
Al-Baba said that from the first moment of assuming control, the Syrian government has been working to address the humanitarian situation, restore security, and prevent disorder.
He revealed that more than 138 breaches were recorded along the 17-kilometer section of the perimeter fence, adding that it will now be placed under the supervision of the relevant authorities.
