Syria’s Interior Ministry said government forces have taken control of Al-Hol camp and security prisons in Hasakah province, acknowledging that detainees linked to ISIS escaped, a day after the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) announced their withdrawal from the site.
The announcement came as the Syrian presidency said late Tuesday that a joint understanding had been reached between Damascus and the SDF on a number of issues related to the future of Hasakah province.
On Wednesday, the Syrian army announced the killing of 7 soldiers and the injury of 20 by an SDF suicide drone, during a clearance operation the army was conducting on SDF munition storage facilities in Hasakah.
In a statement, the Interior Ministry said it is working to secure the areas where forces have deployed and to search for remaining escaped ISIS detainees, warning that approaching these zones is prohibited.
According to the de facto presidency’s statement, the two sides agreed to grant the SDF four days to conduct internal consultations in order to develop a detailed plan for the practical mechanism of integrating the areas under its control.
The statement added that Syrian army forces will not enter the centers of Hasakah and Qamishli, remaining instead on their outskirts, with a later discussion planned on the timeline and details of what it described as the “peaceful integration” of Hasakah province, including the city of Qamishli.
The presidency said it was also agreed that Syrian military forces will not enter Kurdish villages, and that no armed forces would be present in those areas except for local security units drawn from the residents of the region.
Meanwhile, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he hoped the full integration of Kurdish forces in Syria would usher in a new era for the neighboring country. In remarks on Wednesday, Erdogan said he had held what he described as a “productive” phone call with US President Donald Trump on Syria, which included discussions on fighting ISIS there.
For its part, the Syrian Defense Ministry spokesperson Brig. Gen. Hassan Abdul Ghani said the army remains committed to the ceasefire, citing a “a sincere commitment to prevent bloodshed and to build a peaceful solution that preserves the country’s unity, security and stability,” SANA reported.
The Syrian state “ has been, and remains, in direct confrontation with the Daesh terrorist organization,” according to Abdul Ghani. He emphasised that the de facto government had previously demonstrated full readiness to take over ISIS detention facilities in the region and place them under the Interior Ministry’s authority.
Abdul Ghani called on the SDF to adhere to the terms of the Jan. 18 agreement and the designated ceasefire period, warning against targeting the Syrian army or internal security forces.
The SDF leadership, for its part, announced its full commitment to the ceasefire, saying it would not initiate any military action unless its forces were subjected to future attacks. It reaffirmed its openness to political pathways, negotiated solutions and dialogue, and its readiness to proceed with the implementation of the Jan. 18 agreement in a manner that serves de-escalation and stability.
On Jan. 18, Syrian de facto leader Ahmed Al-Sharaa signed an agreement on a ceasefire and the full integration of the SDF into Syrian state institutions.
Under the terms of the agreement, all SDF military formations are to withdraw to areas east of the Euphrates, while the provinces of Deir Ezzor and Raqqa are to be handed over administratively and militarily to the Syrian government immediately.
Hours after the agreement was announced, the Syrian army said three of its soldiers were killed and others wounded in two attacks targeting its forces deployed in northeast Syria. The army’s Operations Command said that “terrorist groups affiliated with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party and remnants of the former regime are attempting to obstruct the implementation of the agreement by targeting Syrian army forces.”
The SDF, meanwhile, said that “violent clashes erupted between our forces and the Syrian army in the vicinity of Al-Qattan prison in Raqqa, which houses ISIS detainees,” adding that Syrian army attacks were continuing against its positions in Ain Issa, Shaddadi and Raqqa.
Hasakah province contains 111 displacement shelters, including 18 in Hasakah city, 77 in Qamishli and 16 across other areas, according to a report by the Synergy for Justice rights organization cited by the Kurdish outlet Rudaw.
According to the report, more than 25,000 people have been displaced to Raqqa, Hasakah and Qamishli as a result of shelling and clashes, amid severe humanitarian conditions and acute shortages of food, water, basic services and health care.
