Syria’s government has freed at least 126 minors who had been held at a northern prison previously run by Kurdish forces, state media reported on Saturday, following Damascus’ takeover of the facility under a recent agreement.
State television broadcast footage showing crowds gathering to welcome the released detainees, many of them embraced by relatives amid scenes of celebration and relief. Syria’s official SANA news agency said the government had also published the names of remaining detainees, enabling families to search for relatives still being held.
According to state television, “126 detainees under the age of 18 were released from Al-Aqtan prison” in Raqqa province, a facility that has been used for years to hold suspected members of the Islamic State (ISIS) group and their relatives. The prison had been under the control of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) until this week.
The SDF did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the release or the transfer of control of the prison.
The move comes as Kurdish authorities relinquish territory amid mounting military and political pressure from Damascus, which has stepped up efforts to reassert control over areas outside its authority. In recent days, the SDF has withdrawn from swathes of territory in northern Syria, retreating mainly to parts of Hasakeh province in the far northeast.
On Sunday, Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa announced a broader agreement with SDF commander Mazloum Abdi that includes a nationwide ceasefire and the integration of the Kurds’ de facto autonomous administration into the Syrian state. Under the deal, Damascus will assume responsibility for thousands of ISIS detainees held in prisons and camps across former SDF-controlled areas.
As part of the transition, Kurdish fighters stationed at Al-Aqtan prison were transferred on Friday to the Kurdish-held city of Ain al-Arab, also known as Kobane, in Aleppo province near the Turkish border. SANA quoted the Syrian army as saying the transfer marked “the first step in implementing the January 18 agreement,” under which Syria’s interior ministry will take over administration of the prison.
The fate of ISIS detainees and their families has long been a contentious issue in Syria, drawing international concern over security risks, humanitarian conditions, and the legal status of those held. The release of minors is likely to intensify scrutiny of how the Syrian government manages the transition and addresses calls for due process and rehabilitation.
