In a move that has raised concerns, the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have withdrawn from the al-Hol camp, which houses thousands of people with alleged links to the Islamic State (IS) group. This withdrawal comes after a brief but intense clash with the Syrian government forces, leading to a new ceasefire agreement.
The SDF said it was “compelled” to leave the al-Hol camp and redeploy to other cities in northeast Syria “due to the international indifference toward the issue of [IS].” The group’s commander, Mazloum Abdi, urged the US-led coalition, once a key ally, to “bear its responsibilities in protecting facilities.”
The Syrian government, on the other hand, accused the SDF of withdrawing from the camp without any coordination, in what it called an “attempt to pressure the government over the fight against terrorism.” The government has now promised to take control of the camp, as well as all prisons holding suspected IS fighters in the region.
The latest developments represent a significant blow to the SDF, which had been reluctant to give up the autonomy it had won for Syria’s Kurdish minority during the country’s 13-year civil war. The agreement reached on Sunday between the SDF and the government is set to see the Kurdish-run autonomous region in the country’s northeast and its key infrastructure brought under government control, as well as the integration of the tens of thousands of SDF fighters into the defense and interior ministries’ forces.
Interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa has vowed to reunify Syria since he led the rebel offensive that overthrew Bashar al-Assad in December 2024. However, the country remains deeply divided and has been rocked by waves of deadly sectarian violence.
The US, once the SDF’s main ally in Syria, has expressed “grave concern” over the developments, urging all parties to “exercise maximum restraint” and prioritize the protection of civilians. Special envoy Tom Barrack has acknowledged that the rationale for the US-SDF partnership has “largely expired,” and the focus is now on ensuring the security of facilities holding IS prisoners and facilitating talks between the SDF and President Sharaa’s government on the implementation of the ceasefire deal.
As the fragile ceasefire holds, the future of Syria’s Kurdish-led autonomous region and the fate of thousands of suspected IS fighters and their families remain uncertain, highlighting the ongoing challenges in the country’s long-running conflict.
