Syrian forces fully secured Al-Hol camp on January 21, 2026, replacing SDF guards at the site housing 24,000 ISIS-linked families, with no confirmed mass releases amid tightened security. The camp in Hasakah province holds around 24,000 people, mostly women and children linked to ISIS, including about 14,000 Syrians, 3,000 Iraqis, and 6,500 foreign nationals in a secure annex.
Syrian troops entered smoothly after SDF forces pulled back to defend nearby cities, part of a broader ceasefire deal integrating Kurdish fighters into state structures and handing over ISIS detention sites. The Interior Ministry announced security measures to stabilize the facility, run by Kurds with U.S. coalition support since defeating ISIS in 2019. U.S. envoy Tom Barrack stated Damascus is now able and willing to manage such sites, marking a shift from SDF reliance.
Separately, the U.S. began transferring ISIS detainees from SDF prisons in Syria to Iraq on January 21, starting with 150 from Hasakah facilities; up to 7,000 may follow for prosecution, but not from Al-Hol's family camp.
