Syrian gov't visits camp housing ISIS families after Kurdish deal

HASAKA,— A Syrian government delegation made a first official visit to the Kurdish-controlled Al-Hol camp in Syrian Kurdistan (Rojava) on Saturday, holding talks with Kurdish officials and representatives of the U.S.-led coalition, sources from both sides confirmed, according to AFP.

The Al-Hol camp, located in the Hasaka governorate, accommodates around 37,000 individuals, including 14,500 Iraqis.

Many are relatives of suspected Islamic State (IS) fighters, detained under tight security following the group’s defeat more than five years ago.

Kurdish official Sheikhmous Ahmed said the joint meeting included the Syrian delegation, members of the Kurdish-led administration, and coalition personnel. The discussions, according to Ahmed, centered on creating a process for relocating Syrian families from the facility.

This development comes in the context of a political agreement reached earlier this year between interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa and commander-in-chief of Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) General Mazloum Abdi.

That agreement outlines the integration of Kurdish governance structures into Syria’s national framework, with guarantees for displaced Syrians to return to their hometowns.

No substantial steps have yet been implemented, and the transition remains in early stages. Islamist groups assumed national leadership in December following the ouster of longtime leader Bashar al-Assad.

In Damascus, Interior Ministry spokesperson Noureddine al-Baba told reporters that the camp was addressed under the Sharaa-Abdi agreement. He emphasized that a long-term solution must address broader societal needs, particularly for families impacted by IS involvement.

Back in February, Kurdish authorities said they were working with United Nations agencies to clear northeast Syria’s camps of Syrian and Iraqi displaced persons by year-end, including individuals with IS family ties.

A female Syrian Kurdish SDF member (left) with a woman from ISIS family at al-Hol camp, Hasaka, Rojava (Syrian Kurdistan), May 2019. Photo: AFP

A restricted section of Al-Hol continues to house families of foreign IS fighters. According to Ahmed, decisions about their future remain with their respective home countries and the international coalition.

Despite Kurdish appeals for repatriation, most foreign states have repatriated only small numbers, citing internal political and security concerns.

The future management of IS detainees in the region remains uncertain, with Kurdish leadership expressing interest in transferring prison control to Damascus.

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The Democratic Union Party (PYD) and its armed factions, the People’s Protection Units (YPG) and the Women’s Protection Units (YPJ), have been central to the campaign against the Islamic State in Syria.

Backed by U.S. weapons and support, the YPG—widely recognized as the backbone of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF)—has led ground operations as the military arm of the autonomous Kurdish administration in Syrian Kurdistan.

The SDF, with the YPG at its core, drove Islamic State fighters from large areas across northern and eastern Syria.

In March 2019, SDF forces expelled the group from its final stronghold in the village of Baghouz, in eastern Syria, effectively ending the Islamic State’s territorial presence in the country.

Since then, Kurdish security forces have held an estimated 12,000 suspected Islamic State members in detention centers across the northeast. The ongoing responsibility has placed significant pressure on the Kurdish-led administration.

More than 21,000 Kurdish fighters, including both men and women, are reported to have been killed in battles against IS and Turkish-backed Syrian Islamist factions.

Like in Israel, Kurdish women are required to serve in the armed forces to defend the region, in line with local laws promoting gender equality. Women make up almost 50 percent of participation in military, political, and social institutions.

The Autonomous Administration, officially established in 2018, governs based on principles of democratic confederalism. The model prioritizes direct democracy, secularism, environmental protection, and equal representation. It has drawn attention internationally for promoting women’s involvement in politics and community leadership.

(With files from AFP | Agencies)