Turbulence in Syria: The Overlooked Crisis of Prisons and Camps

The rapid dissolution of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces has sparked concerns over the fate of prisons and camps holding thousands of Islamic State members and their families in northeastern Syria. Key facilities, including the Ghwayran and Panorama prisons, have shifted control, raising questions about regional stability.

The collapse of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in northeastern Syria has generated widespread uncertainty about the security of several prisons and camps that house over 10,000 Islamic State (IS) members. These facilities, now under shifting control, hold thousands more women and children linked to IS.

This situation is particularly dire in Hasakah province, where the Ghwayran and Panorama prisons store battle-hardened IS fighters. Reuters, with rare access to these facilities, reported firsthand accounts from detainees of various nationalities. Other detention centers in Qamishli and Malikiyah remain under Kurdish watch, while the U.S. manages logistical transfers of detainees to Iraq.

The Syrian government has regained control over several key prisons, such as the Shaddadi and Al-Aqtan facilities, as SDF forces were forced to retreat. Meanwhile, tens of thousands of civilians remain interned in the al-Hol and Roj camps as the precarious situation continues to evolve, leaving questions over the fate of those held within.

(With inputs from agencies.)