In a significant development within Syria’s ongoing conflict resolution, government forces have assumed control of al-Aqtan prison in Raqqa province following a negotiated ceasefire with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). This transfer facilitated the immediate release of 126 minors previously detained at the facility, as confirmed by official state media reports.
Digital footage disseminated across social platforms captured emotional scenes of local communities welcoming the liberated juveniles, all confirmed to be under eighteen years of age. Several children provided harrowing testimonies in videos, detailing experiences of severe maltreatment during their incarceration. One minor, featured in a report by Syria’s state news agency Sana, described being subjected to electrocution, whipping, and solitary confinement with cold water exposure, stating visible sores remain on his body as evidence.
Concurrent with the release, Syrian judicial authorities announced the establishment of special committees to comprehensively review the cases of all remaining detainees. Sana further published a list of names still held in custody, creating a mechanism for families to search for missing relatives online.
This prison transfer represents the final facility handed over to Syrian government control from the SDF, which previously operated with U.S. support. Al-Aqtan primarily held individuals with alleged connections to the Islamic State (IS) group. This action follows similar recent takeovers of al-Hol detention camp—housing approximately 24,000 people, mostly women and children linked to IS—and al-Shaddadi prison.
The strategic handover occurred within the framework of a four-day ceasefire agreement announced last week. Subsequently, on Saturday, both conflicting parties agreed to extend this truce by an additional fifteen days. This extension aims to facilitate the SDF’s planned integration into the Syrian national army and their eventual disarmament, significantly reducing tensions after government forces recently captured extensive territories in northeastern Syria.
The extended ceasefire also enables continued transfers of IS detainees, with the U.S. Central Command announcing the initial evacuation of 7,000 prisoners to secured facilities in Iraq earlier this week. A subsequent transfer batch commenced this Saturday, addressing concerns about prison security following chaotic SDF withdrawals that previously allowed some IS affiliates to briefly escape.
Northeast Syria remains home to numerous facilities incarcerating thousands of IS members, remnants from the group’s territorial defeat in 2019 where the SDF played a crucial combat role. Since then, the SDF has maintained control over several Arab-majority urban centers, including Manbij and Raqqa, as part of an autonomous administrative enclave.