Syria's Kurds hand over Aqtan prison with IS detainees in Raqqa

Syria’s Kurdish fighters leave prison with Islamic State detainees

RAQQA,—Syria’s Kurds handed over Al-Aqtan Prison holding Islamic State detainees in Raqqa to government authorities early Friday, marking the start of a security transfer under a recently announced agreement between Kurdish forces and Damascus.

Syrian officials said government forces began relocating Kurdish fighters from the Al-Aqtan prison complex on the outskirts of Raqqa, where Islamic State ISIS detainees have been held for years.

The move represents the first practical step in carrying out a deal reached over the weekend.

Buses and civilian vehicles escorted by Syrian government security units were seen leaving the prison overnight after access roads to the facility were closed on Thursday, AFP reported.

The convoy departed under heightened security as authorities prepared for the transition of control.

Syrian state television said the transfer of members of the Syrian Democratic Forces began after five days of negotiations with the Syrian state.

The broadcaster said the fighters were being moved to Kobane in Aleppo province, a Symbolic Kurdish city near the Turkish border, in line with security arrangements agreed by both sides.

The transfer comes amid mounting military and political pressure from Damascus, which has intensified efforts to reassert authority across Syria.

In recent days, Kurdish forces have withdrawn from several areas and repositioned their units in parts of Hasaka province in the far northeast.

On Sunday, Syrian interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa announced an agreement with Kurdish SDF commander General Mazloum Abdi.

The deal included a ceasefire and plans to integrate the Kurdish administration of Syrian Kurdistan into state institutions. Under the arrangement, the Syrian government will assume responsibility for prisons holding Islamic State detainees.

State news agency SANA quoted a military source as saying the Al-Aqtan transfer was the first step in implementing the January 18 agreement. The statement said the interior ministry would take over the administration of the prison.

A government source told a broadcaster that about 800 Kurdish security SDF forces were expected to exit the facility under an internationally sponsored agreement aimed at easing tensions. The source said Islamic State detainees would be handled in accordance with Syrian law.

Thousands of suspected Islamic State fighters and their family members, including foreign nationals, have been held in Kurdish-run prisons and camps since the group’s defeat in 2019 by Kurdish forces backed by a US-led coalition.

Kurdish officials have said more than 21,000 Kurdish male and female fighters were killed in battles against Islamic State and pro-Turkey Syrian Islamist mercenary groups.

The government source said the step followed international mediation efforts designed to prevent military escalation and ensure a peaceful transfer of authority at sensitive sites.

Earlier this week, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported clashes between Syrian government Islamist forces and Kurdish fighters near the Al-Aqtan prison.

Separately, the United States said on Wednesday it had launched an operation that could result in the transfer of up to 7,000 Islamic State detainees from Syria to Iraq. US officials said about 150 detainees had been transferred so far.

(With files from AFP)