Dozens of ISIS prisoners are believed to have escaped from a Syrian jail in the wake of Syrian government advances into Kurdish-held territory in north-eastern Syria.
A Kurdish coalition of militias known as the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) has controlled a large swathe of northeast Syria for over a decade, but the Syrian government is now ramping up moves to take control of the territory.
Tens of thousands of ISIS fighters and their family members are being detained in the area. Many are from Western countries, including Belgium. They are unable to return to their homelands because their home governments have refused to accept them.
On Monday, the Syrian interior ministry announced that around 12o prisoners had escaped from al-Shaddadi prison, which was formerly under SDF control. Eight-one detainees were subsequently recaptured, according to the ministry.
The SDF and the government have accused each other over the escape. Kurdish officials blamed government forces and claimed that active ISIS fighters will take advantage of the security situation to stage coordinated escapes.
On Tuesday, the SDF withdrew its guards from the Al-Hol camp, which is believed to hold thousands of ISIS-linked family members, mainly women and children. Detainees are said to have escaped from the camp following the SDF withdrawal.
The camp has been described as a “ticking time bomb” due to widespread radicalisation there. US Central Command called it a “literal breeding ground for the next generation of ISIS”.
Belgian nationals in Syrian prisons
Among the ISIS detainees in north-eastern Syria, there are thought to be a number of Belgian nationals. The identities and nationalities of the escaped ISIS prisoners are not yet known and it is unclear if there are any Belgians among them.
According to De Morgen, the exact number of Belgian nationals within Kurdish-controlled prisons is estimated at around 20, with the contested Hasakah prison specifically known to house at least two of them.
These include Caner Cankurtaran from Vilvoorde and Yassin Zahri from Schaerbeek. They were both sentenced in absentia in Belgium for terrorism-related charges.
Loss of control over the prisons or camps for ISIS fighters and their families could strengthen ISIS and plunge the entire region into a new phase of violence and instability.
An expert from the International Centre for Counter-Terrorism told De Morgen: "The biggest risk is that IS will more than double in numbers and be able to relaunch, but there is also a risk that European fighters will return and strike here."
The notorious Al-Hol camp still under Kurdish control, 14 October 2025. Credit: Wikimedia Commons
Since Ahmed Al-Sharaa came to power in Syria, the new president has sought to centralise the country, with Kurdish controlled territories targeted first. Despite a recent four-day ceasefire agreement, the Syrian government is on the offensive on the SDF stronghold.
Kurdish forces have called on the Western anti-ISIS coalition to step up their efforts in helping secure contested prisons and camps. Ilham Ahmed, a senior Kurdish politician, demanded urgent international intervention, calling the Syrian government’s advances “genocidal attacks against Kurds".
Syrian government forces have pledged to properly secure prisons. The Syrian defence minister said in a statement: "We announce our full readiness to take over Al-Hol Camp and all ISIS detention facilities in the region."
