Kurdish-led forces report clashes with Syrian army at prison holding IS inmates

"The announcement came less than 24 hours after the Syrian president, Ahmad al-Sharaa, said it had agreed a ceasefire with the SDF and would move to dismantle the group's decade-long control of the country's north-east. The SDF said the clashes were in the vicinity of al-Aqtan prison in Raqqa, one of several locations where IS prisoners are held. The level of threat is escalating significantly, amid attempts by these factions to reach the prison and seize control of it, the group said."

"Such actions could lead to serious security repercussions that threaten stability and open the door to a return of chaos and terrorism. The Syrian army said in a subsequent statement to the Sana state news agency that three Syrian servicemen were killed and others wounded in two attacks, without saying where, adding that some terrorist groups are attempting to disrupt the implementation of the ceasefire deal."

"The sudden defeat of the SDF in Syria's north raises questions about its ability to retain control of prisons and camps housing tens of thousands of male and female supporters of IS. Two prisons in Raqqa city, Taameer and a juvenile detention centre, where members of IS and others were held are said by Kurdish sources to have been emptied by locals after the Syrian government's takeover of Raqqa."

Clashes erupted between the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and Syrian government forces near al-Aqtan prison on Raqqa's outskirts, endangering Islamic State detainees. The fighting followed a claimed ceasefire and a Syrian pledge to dismantle SDF control in the northeast. The SDF warned that attempts by factions to reach and seize the prison are escalating threats that could restore chaos and terrorism. The Syrian army reported three servicemen killed and others wounded, accusing terrorist groups of seeking to disrupt the ceasefire. The SDF's sudden loss of territory raises doubts about secure custody of tens of thousands of IS supporters held across prisons and camps, including al-Hawl, Roj, Panorama and Gweiran.

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