Syrian government forces officially assumed control of al-Aqtan prison, a major facility housing Islamic State (IS) group members north of Raqqa, on Friday, January 23, 2026. The takeover followed the evacuation of hundreds of fighters from the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) as part of a negotiated agreement, according to Syria’s Interior Ministry.
The Ministry confirmed in a statement that the government’s prisons authority is now in charge of the facility and has initiated a review of detainee files, state television reported. Deputy Interior Minister Maj. Gen. Abdul-Qader Tahan visited the prison on Friday to assess the conditions of the detention center and its detainees.
The facility houses up to 2,000 detainees, according to Raqqa governor Abdul-Rahman Salama, although the exact number linked to IS remains unclear. The SDF confirmed in a statement that al-Aqtan holds detainees from the IS “terrorist organization.”
Government forces had surrounded the prison during a two-week offensive against the SDF. Negotiations ultimately allowed approximately 800 SDF fighters to withdraw westward toward Kobani, which remains under the U.S.-backed group’s control.
Prior to the agreement, encircled SDF personnel posted video appeals calling on the international community for help.
🔴 An official at al-Aqtan Prison in Raqqa:
📌 We issue an appeal to the International Coalition and all concerned parties, seeking to hand over responsibility for securing al-Aqtan Prison—which houses ISIS elements—under international guarantees.
📌 We demand a safe passage to… pic.twitter.com/EcoultUiXn— Wladimir van Wilgenburg (@vvanwilgenburg) January 22, 2026
The U.S. military began transferring IS detainees from northeast Syria to Iraq on Wednesday, citing rising chaos and fears of mass prison breaks. Approximately 150 detainees were initially moved from a detention center in Hasakah, with plans to relocate up to 7,000 of the estimated 9,000 to 10,000 IS detainees held in SDF custody, U.S. officials said.
The transfer was requested by Iraqi officials and subsequently welcomed by the Syrian government, according to U.S. and Iraqi officials.
U.S. envoy Tom Barrack stated that the SDF’s role as Syria’s primary anti-IS force “has largely expired,” asserting that the new Syrian government is “both willing and positioned to take over security responsibilities.”
