Syrian government forces have entered the al-Hawl detention camp in north-eastern Syria, taking control of the facility after Kurdish-led forces withdrew. The camp houses approximately 24,000 people, including suspected Islamic State members and their families, from 42 different nationalities.
The handover from the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which had overseen the camp for seven years, occurred on Wednesday. The Syrian government has vowed to secure the facility, which has been described by security experts as a hotbed of extremism and a potential source for the reconstitution of Islamic State.
The Syrian government accused the SDF of leaving the prison unguarded, leading to the escape of some detainees. The SDF denied this, but a similar incident occurred at Shaddadi prison, where 120 prisoners escaped during an SDF withdrawal.
Meanwhile, the US military announced it had begun transferring Islamic State detainees from north-eastern Syria to Iraq. US Central Command stated that 150 IS members had been moved from al-Hasakah province to secure locations in Iraq, with up to 7,000 potentially being transferred.
The SDF still controls other detention facilities, including al-Roj camp, where Shamima Begum is held. The SDF has warned it may struggle to maintain control if attacked by Syrian government forces again. A four-day ceasefire was reached on Tuesday, with a 14-point peace plan agreed in principle, under which the SDF would integrate into the Syrian military and cede most governing authorities to Damascus.
