VIDEO: Syria Kurdish forces 'compelled to withdraw' from Daesh-linked Al-Hol camp: statement

• The SDF withdraws from Al-Hol camp, citing international inaction as risks rise in northern Syria.

The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces said Tuesday they had withdrawn from northeast Syria's Al-Hol camp, which holds thousands of relatives of Daesh militants, after the army accused them of abandoning the site.

Citing "international indifference" towards the Daesh issue and "the failure of the international community to assume its responsibilities in addressing this serious matter, our forces were compelled to withdraw from Al-Hol camp and redeploy in the vicinity of cities in northern Syria that are facing increasing risks and threat", the SDF said in a statement.

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The withdrawal followed days of clashes between the SDF and Syrian army near the camp. Earlier on Tuesday, the SDF reported violent confrontations near Al-Hol, and said it repelled an advance near the village of Tal Baroud.

The Syrian interior ministry condemned the withdrawal, saying it occurred without coordination with the government or the U.S.-led coalition fighting Daesh. Damascus-aligned forces said they were moving into the camp to “restore order” and secure the site.

The developments came after suspected Daesh militants escaped from Shaddadi prison during clashes. The interior ministry reported that 120 detainees broke out of the SDF-run facility on Monday, but soldiers and police had arrested 81 of the fugitives. The SDF claimed that government forces had freed 1,500 detainees after it lost control of the prison.

Additionally, the SDF reported that al-Aqtan prison near Raqqa was under shelling and had lost its water supply. Clashes around the facility, which holds around 2,000 Daesh militants, intensified for a second day, with food and water cut off. An SDF source said their forces were resisting to prevent the prison from falling into Syrian government hands.

About Al-Hol camp

The Al-Hol camp, located southeast of Hasaka in the Kurdish-led region of Rojava, is managed by the SDF and affiliated Internal Security Forces (Asayish). The camp houses tens of thousands of people, including spouses and children of former Daesh militants, and has long been known for its harsh living conditions and potential as a radicalization hotspot.

Agreement with al-Sharaa

The withdrawal follows a 14-point agreement signed Sunday between SDF Commander Mazloum Abdi and Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa.

The accord required the SDF to halt violence, hand over control of prisons and camps to Damascus, and redeploy its fighters east of the Euphrates. Under the deal, tens of thousands of SDF fighters will be integrated into the Syrian defense and interior ministries' forces.

The agreement represents a major blow to the SDF, which has been reluctant to give up the autonomy it gained in northeastern Syria during the U.S.-led fight against Daesh over the country’s 13-year civil war. A senior Kurdish official said the government seeks to dismantle Kurdish self-rule and opposes Kurdish rights.

The developments have already triggered humanitarian concerns. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that more than 15,000 people have been displaced in recent days, with hundreds of families fleeing Hasaka for Qamishli and Amuda, seeking shelter in schools and mosques amid shortages of food and heating fuel.

State media cited the Syrian Arab Army’s Operations Command as saying the SDF had abandoned Al-Hol and released detainees. The army, in coordination with the Internal Security Forces, pledged to enter the camp to protect local Kurds and ensure security. The Syrian defense ministry declared its readiness to take full control of Al-Hol and Daesh prisons while urging the SDF to uphold the January 18 agreement and avoid Kurdish towns and villages.