Syrian government forces tightened their control on Monday over wide areas of northern and eastern Syria following the withdrawal of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), marking a major shift in the country’s internal balance of power.
The SDF agreed on Sunday to pull out of the Arab-majority provinces of Raqqa and Deir al-Zor, territories it had controlled for years, including key oil and gas facilities. The withdrawal followed days of clashes with government forces and came amid prolonged negotiations over demands that SDF forces integrate into the Syrian state.
Reuters reporters witnessed Syrian forces deploying in Raqqa, where internal security units and military police established checkpoints, as well as at the al-Omar oilfield and the Conoco gas field in Deir al-Zor. No visible SDF presence remained in those locations. Syrian officials said the withdrawals represented the most significant change in territorial control since Islamist forces led by President Ahmed al-Sharaa ousted Bashar al-Assad in 2024.
Despite the agreement, reports of violence continued. The SDF said armed groups attacked a prison holding Islamic State detainees in the eastern town of Shaddadi in Hasakah province, claiming the facility had fallen outside its control. It also reported clashes near another detention site close to Raqqa, where thousands of Islamic State militants are held.
Syrian state media and officials strongly rejected those claims. The Syrian Defense Ministry and the army’s operations command said SDF forces had deliberately released IS prisoners from Shaddadi prison. According to state broadcaster SANA, Syrian Arab Army units began entering Shaddadi on Monday to secure the prison, comb surrounding areas, and pursue escaped detainees. The army said the facility and local security sites would be handed over to the Interior Ministry after operations were completed.
Syrian authorities accused the SDF of misleading public opinion and warned against what they described as reckless actions, including facilitating the escape of IS prisoners. Officials said they had attempted, through mediators, to arrange a transfer of the prison to internal security forces, but that SDF leaders refused.
The SDF acknowledged ongoing clashes around detention facilities and said nine of its fighters were killed near the al-Aqtan prison on the outskirts of Raqqa. It described the fighting as a serious escalation and warned of security consequences should government forces take control of the prisons.
Under the broader integration agreement announced Sunday, responsibility for prisons holding Islamic State detainees, as well as border crossings and oil and gas fields, is to be transferred to the Syrian government. The timing of those handovers has not been specified. The SDF retains control of Hasakah province, including the Kurdish-majority city of Qamishli, where major detention camps and prisons are located.
The agreement also provides for SDF fighters to be absorbed individually into Syria’s defense and interior ministries and commits the group to expel non-Syrian members affiliated with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party. Turkey welcomed the deal, expressing hope it would contribute to stability along its border.
Syrian authorities said security deployments were continuing in eastern Deir al-Zor as part of efforts to maintain order following the territorial changes.