Kurdish-led S.D.F. withdraws from Al Hol camp amid clashes with Syrian government

The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces withdrew on Tuesday from the Al Hol camp in northeastern Syria, which houses tens of thousands of family members of Islamic State fighters, Kurdish and Syrian government officials said, as tensions rose over control of the region. The S.D.F.

said it had been forced to redeploy troops to nearby areas. The Syrian government accused the S.D.F. of abandoning its posts without coordinating with officials or with the U.S.-led coalition and said detainees had escaped. Jihan Hanan, the camp’s administrator, confirmed that Kurdish-led forces had "completely left the camp" and described scenes of chaos: "The families are fleeing from the camp," she said.

"They are burning the buildings and offices. There is chaos." The S.D.F., with American backing, led a campaign that stripped the Islamic State of territory and captured thousands of fighters and tens of thousands of their family members, and for years has secured prisons and detention camps.

Many governments have been reluctant to repatriate citizens held at Al Hol, citing security concerns and legal hurdles, while human rights groups say prolonged detention has deepened a humanitarian crisis and risked further radicalization. The withdrawal followed, officials said, a breakdown in talks over a proposed agreement to merge the S.D.F.

Key Topics

World, Syrian Democratic Forces, Al Hol Camp, Islamic State, Syrian Government, Jihan Hanan