Syrian Authorities Release 126 Minors From Al-Aqtan Prison in Raqqa After Seizing Facility From SDF

Syrian authorities say they released 126 minors from Al‑Aqtan prison in Raqqa after government forces took control of the facility from the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

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ABC News

State television footage and social-media images showed children leaving the prison and families reuniting, and state agencies published lists of remaining detainees to assist searches, according to multiple reports.

ABC News

Authorities described the freed detainees as under 18 and said the Interior Ministry has begun reviewing their legal files after formally taking over the site.

The releases were reported as part of a broader ceasefire and handover agreement between Damascus and the SDF.

According to several outlets, the deal assigns control of some detention facilities to the Syrian state and begins integrating SDF members into government institutions.

Al Jazeera

Reports cite different dates for the deal's announcement (Jan. 18 or Jan. 23 in various accounts) and describe initial movements of fighters and detainees.

These movements included transfers of Kurdish fighters from Al-Aqtan to Ain al-Arab (Kobani) and handovers of prison management to the Interior Ministry as first steps.

State statements framed the handover as implementing a political and security integration plan.

The Al‑Aqtan release took place against the backdrop of international efforts to relocate Islamic State suspects from northeastern Syria to Iraq.

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Al Jazeera

State and local reports cite around 9,000 Islamic State suspects held across SDF‑run jails in the region.

U.S. and other officials are reported as planning transfers of up to about 7,000 detainees to Iraqi custody, with roughly 150 already moved in initial stages.

Coverage differs on scale and emphasis, with some outlets noting that most Islamic State suspects remain in SDF hands even after government seizures of a few prisons.

Government officials used strong language to describe the prior detentions, framing the children involved as victims.

Information Minister Hamza al‑Mustafa called them 'sons and daughters whose childhoods were stolen,' and presidential advisers labeled the detentions a 'complete scandal' during state broadcasts.

Al Jazeera

State news agency SANA and state TV footage were widely cited by pro‑government and regional outlets, which showed reunions and published detainee lists to aid searches.

Those official characterizations appear consistently when the source of reporting is state media.

Coverage reflects divergent emphases on security risks, international involvement, and Kurdish reactions.

“Syrian activists, bloggers and rights advocates have accused the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) of detaining dozens of children at the Al‑Aqtan prison in Raqqa”

Al-Jazeera Net

Some outlets highlight U.S. and international operations to move detainees to Iraq and stress the need to secure camps and transfer sites.

Al-Jazeera Net

Kurdish or local outlets urge an end to fighting and warn of mass escapes and humanitarian risks.

The Kurdish-led authorities’ public responses vary across reports, with some noting no immediate comment from the SDF and others quoting Kurdish officials calling for an end to fighting.

Many reports warn that most IS suspects remain in SDF custody even as a handful of facilities change hands.