Syrian Regime Takes Over Al-Aqtan ISIS Prison as U.S. Begins Transfers From SDF‑Run Facilities to Iraq
The U.S. military has begun transferring detainees from SDF‑run facilities in northeastern Syria to Iraq, moving an initial 150 ISIS suspects to Iraqi custody as part of a process U.S. officials say could ultimately involve thousands of male detainees amid concerns about mass breakouts and Iraqi detention and trial procedures. Simultaneously, Syrian government forces have taken control of al‑Aqtan prison north of Raqqa (and the al‑Hol camp), after roughly 800 SDF guards were evacuated to Kobani, with Damascus’ prisons authority reviewing files for up to 2,000 inmates even as it remains unclear how many are ISIS members and how many escapees remain at large.
📌 Key Facts
- U.S. forces have already moved 150 ISIS detainees from a Hasakah-area facility in northeastern Syria to Iraqi-controlled sites, CENTCOM says, and as many as 7,000 detainees could ultimately be transferred to Iraq.
- U.S. envoy Tom Barrack says a new deal with interim Syrian President Ahmed al‑Sharaa will integrate SDF fighters individually into the Syrian national military, hand key infrastructure (including oil fields, dams and border crossings) to Damascus, and transfer control of ISIS prisons and camps from the SDF to the Syrian state.
- The arrangement reportedly promises Kurds full Syrian citizenship, constitutional protections for Kurdish language and culture, recognition of Newroz as a national holiday, and participation in governance in exchange for ending semi‑autonomous rule.
- A Jan. 19 handover at Shaddadeh prison in Hasakah province led to about 120 ISIS inmates escaping during the transfer; Syria’s Interior Ministry says 81 have been recaptured, while analysts warn the chaos around the breakout makes the true number at large uncertain.
- The U.S.-facilitated transfers to Iraq apply only to male detainees held in prisons; women and children affiliated with ISIS remain in Syrian-run camps such as al‑Hol, which Damascus now controls, leaving long-term repatriation and care unresolved.
- Human-rights concerns have been raised about Iraqi trial procedures, but officials and analysts say prioritizing placement of detainees in Iraq’s more secure prisons aims to prevent further mass breakouts.
- Syria’s Interior Ministry says it has assumed control of al‑Aqtan prison north of Raqqa (the second ISIS-related prison transferred from the SDF after Shaddadeh), with the national prisons authority reviewing detainee files; Raqqa’s governor estimates al‑Aqtan holds up to about 2,000 detainees, though it is unclear how many are ISIS members.
- Roughly 800 SDF guards at al‑Aqtan were evacuated through a negotiated corridor to Kobani after a two‑week Syrian offensive and siege; the SDF says the evacuation was conducted with U.S.-led coalition support, and the regime captured the nearby al‑Hol camp the day before, consolidating control over major ISIS-associated camps and multiple prisons as the U.S. concurrently begins detainee transfers to Iraq.
📰 Source Timeline (4)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
January 23, 2026
6:45 PM
Syrian forces take control of prison holding IS detainees after Kurdish fighters evacuate
New information:
- Syrian Interior Ministry says it has assumed control of al-Aqtan prison north of Raqqa from the SDF, with the national prisons authority now reviewing detainee files.
- Al-Aqtan is the second ISIS-related prison transferred from SDF to government control after Shaddadeh, where about 120 ISIS detainees escaped during the handover, most later recaptured according to Syrian state media.
- Raqqa’s governor estimates up to 2,000 detainees are held at al-Aqtan, though it is unclear how many are ISIS members.
- Roughly 800 SDF guards at al-Aqtan were evacuated through a negotiated corridor to Kobani after a Syrian two‑week offensive and siege; the SDF says this transfer was conducted with U.S.-led coalition support.
- The article confirms Syrian government capture of the al-Hol camp the day before, consolidating regime control over both a major ISIS-associated camp and multiple prisons as the U.S. concurrently starts moving 150 ISIS detainees from SDF sites to Iraq.
12:12 AM
ISIS fighters still at large after Syrian prison break, contributing to volatile security situation
New information:
- Syria analyst Nanar Hawach, of the International Crisis Group, says chaos around the Jan. 19 Hasakah breakout makes it 'impossible' to know how many ISIS escapees remain at large, and that Damascus’ claim of recapturing most still leaves some unaccounted for.
- Hawach emphasizes that the U.S.-facilitated transfers to Iraq apply only to male detainees in prisons; women and children affiliated with ISIS remain in Syrian-run camps such as al-Hol under Damascus’ control.
- Human-rights concerns are raised over Iraqi trial procedures, but Hawach notes Iraq’s more secure prisons are being prioritized to prevent further mass breakouts, while calling long-term repatriation of women and children the unresolved piece of the detention crisis.
January 21, 2026
7:20 PM
US begins transferring ISIS detainees from Syria to Iraq amid security transition
New information:
- CENTCOM confirms U.S. forces have already moved 150 ISIS detainees from a Hasakah‑area facility in northeastern Syria to Iraqi‑controlled sites, and says as many as 7,000 could ultimately be transferred.
- U.S. envoy Tom Barrack details that a new deal with interim Syrian President Ahmed al‑Sharaa will integrate SDF fighters individually into the Syrian national military, hand key infrastructure (including oil fields, dams and border crossings) to Damascus, and transfer control of ISIS prisons and camps from the SDF to the Syrian state.
- Barrack says the arrangement promises Kurds full Syrian citizenship, constitutional protections for Kurdish language and culture, recognition of Newroz as a national holiday, and participation in governance in exchange for ending semi‑autonomous rule.
- Syria’s Interior Ministry says security forces have recaptured 81 of 120 ISIS inmates who escaped from al‑Shaddadi prison in Hasakah province and are pursuing the rest, while Damascus and the SDF publicly blame each other for the breakout.