Syrian Forces Take Control Of Al-Aqtan Prison In Raqqa After SDF Withdrawal

The Syrian government says it has assumed control of al-Aqtan prison in Raqqa, a facility that holds a number of ISIL detainees, after Kurdish-led SDF fighters withdrew under a temporary ceasefire agreement.

The Interior Ministry said on Telegram that officials from the Prisons and Correctional Facilities Administration have taken charge of the facility in the former SDF stronghold and begun reviewing detainees' conditions and case files, the state news agency SANA reported.

According to the statement, the handover took place under a four-day ceasefire between the Syrian government and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) that came into effect on Tuesday night, following a rapid advance by Syrian forces last week that reclaimed territory long held by the SDF.

Convoys of buses and cars carrying more than 1,000 SDF personnel were observed leaving Raqqa, with Syrian forces providing safe passage westwards toward Kobane, a Kurdish-majority city on the Syrian-Turkiye border. Syrian army authorities also reported moving SDF elements from the al-Aqtan area toward Ain al-Arab (Kobane) in line with the agreement.

Reporting from Raqqa, Al Jazeera correspondent Zein Basravi said Syrian forces quickly filled the power vacuum left by retreating SDF units. Teams were clearing mines and dismantling munitions inside the prison, and SDF weaponry was being loaded onto trucks for removal.

A woman cries as Syrian families wait for their loved ones around al-Aqtan prison, near Raqqa, Syria, on January 21, 2026 [Bakr Al Kasem/Anadolu]

The Syrian army is now squarely in control of the prison, Basravi said, calling the relatively smooth handover a positive development.

An Al Jazeera team outside the prison described chaotic scenes earlier in the week, with crowds of civilians pressing against barricades held by Syrian soldiers while SDF fighters remained inside. Some civilians were trying to locate relatives detained at the facility and said they had not heard from them amid recent instability.

One man quoted by reporters said his relative was detained by the SDF at a checkpoint after being found with a photo of President Ahmed Al-Sharaa, an allegation illustrating local grievances about alleged unjust detentions under SDF control.

US aircraft dispatched by CENTCOM were also reported flying ISIL detainees out of northeast Syria to Iraq as part of broader efforts to secure thousands of suspected fighters amid concern over instability in Kurdish-run prisons.

Analysts warn the ceasefire remains fragile. Armenak Tokmajyan, a nonresident scholar at the Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center, said the SDF appears earnest in negotiations but noted risks that the truce could collapse if key issues are not settled. Those issues include governance arrangements in Kurdish-majority areas, weapons management, and the future role or integration of Kurdish fighters.

The takeover places new responsibilities on the Syrian government: it must balance international obligations to coalition partners seeking secure detention of ISIL suspects with local demands from families and communities who claim some detainees were unjustly held by the SDF. Officials' visits to the prison and the review of detainee files were described as steps to ease local concerns, but uncertainty among families remains and tensions could resurface.

Observers say the developments in Raqqa have wider implications for Syria's future political structure. The outcome will be closely watched by minority groups across the country and by international backers arguing over whether Syria will remain a centralized state or move toward greater local autonomy.