Syria frees 126 minors from Raqqa prison as SDF ceasefire extended
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The Syrian government freed at least 126 minors held at al-Aqtan prison in Raqqa province on Saturday, state media reported, after taking control of the facility from the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) under a ceasefire agreement.
Videos circulating online showed crowds welcoming the released children, all under 18, some of whom appeared to be of primary school age.
In other footage, several of the children described being subjected to abuse and torture while in SDF custody.
In a video published by Syria’s state news agency Sana, one child said he was electrocuted and whipped during his detention.
“[We were tortured] with electricity… and they kept us in solitary confinement, pouring cold water on us,” he said. “To this day, there are sores on my body.”
Sana also published the names of remaining detainees, allowing families to search for relatives online.
Hours after the children’s release, the Syrian Ministry of Justice announced the formation of judicial committees to review the cases of all detainees.
Al-Aqtan prison, which has been used to hold detainees linked to the Islamic State (IS) group, was the final facility taken over by Syrian forces from the formerly US-backed SDF.
In the past week, the Syrian army has also taken control of al-Hol detention camp, which holds around 24,000 people – mostly women and children with alleged links to IS – as well as al-Shaddadi prison.
Ceasefire extended
The Syrian takeover of al-Aqtan prison from the SDF came as part of a four-day ceasefire announced last week, signalling cooperation between the two sides amid fears that fighting could resume once the truce ended.
On Saturday, both sides agreed to extend the ceasefire by 15 days, after which the SDF is expected to lay down its arms and present a plan for integration into Syria’s army.
The extension eased soaring tensions after government forces rapidly seized large areas of northeastern Syria from the SDF last week, leaving the Kurdish-led group largely concentrated in al-Hasakah province in the far northeast.
The takeover of al-Aqtan also followed the chaotic withdrawal of SDF forces from other detention facilities holding IS members, which allowed some prisoners to briefly escape.
On Wednesday, US Central Command announced the evacuation of an initial group of 7,000 IS detainees to secure facilities in Iraq.
The extended ceasefire is expected to allow further transfers, with a second batch beginning on Saturday.
Northeast Syria is home to several prisons holding thousands of IS members. The group once controlled large parts of the country, and the SDF played a key role in its territorial defeat in 2019.
Since then, the SDF has controlled several Arab-majority cities, including Manbij and Raqqa, as part of an autonomous enclave.
