As Syria shut down al-Hol camp, reports of mass escape are raising fresh fears of ISIS resurgence

Syria’s now closed al-Hol camp, which housed thousands of people with suspected links to the Islamic State group, has experienced what officials described as a mass escape in recent weeks. As reported by NBC News, Syrian authorities confirmed at least 133 breaches since government forces took control of the facility. The development has raised renewed security concerns in a region still grappling with the aftermath of ISIS control.

The breaches occurred during clashes between Syrian government forces and the Kurdish led, US backed Syrian Democratic Forces, which previously controlled the camp. Fighting stopped after a ceasefire was reached last month. It remains unclear how many people have left al-Hol since Syrian forces captured it on January 21, but officials described the scale as significant.

Noureddine al-Baba, spokesperson for the Interior Ministry, said authorities observed cases of mass escape resulting from the opening of internal berms and checkpoints within the camp. He stated that the breaches were recorded along a 17 kilometer stretch of the perimeter, underscoring the size of the facility and the security challenges involved.

Officials say the camp’s closure was driven by security and humanitarian concerns

Al-Hol, located near the Iraqi border, previously housed about 23,500 residents. Roughly 70 percent were children, women, and older people. Most were Syrians and Iraqis, though around 6,500 individuals came from 44 other countries.

Syrian officials decided to empty al-Hol due to its remote desert location and proximity to areas where the government lacks full control. Residents were not formally prisoners and many had not been accused of crimes, but they had remained in de facto detention for years under heavy guard. Al-Baba said that many of the women, children, and older residents are not criminals solely because of family links and require protection and assistance. This comes amid a SCOTUS tariff ruling workaround.

Authorities have transferred many residents to Akhtarin camp in Aleppo province, where aid access is easier and services for children, including education and rehabilitation, are being prioritized. Other residents have been repatriated to Iraq. Officials also stated that individuals proven to have committed crimes will be detained.

After ISIS was territorially defeated in 2019, al-Hol held around 73,000 people. The population gradually declined as some countries repatriated citizens. Syria’s foreign ministry remains in contact with governments of third country nationals to determine next steps as authorities continue to manage the fallout from the camp’s closure, amid a Pentagon Anthropic AI deadline.