SDF to close Al-Roj camp housing IS families

DAMASCUS - The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) will fully close Al-Roj camp in northeast Syria, home to families of detainees accused of Islamic State (IS) membership, announced an official on Saturday.

Sheikhmous Ahmed, a Rojava official who supervises refugee and displacement camps in northeastern Syria, told Iraqi Kurdistan news outlet Rudaw that a joint decision has been made with the SDF to empty the camp.

“Syrian families will be returned to their original areas at the request of the Hasakah governor and their relatives,” said Ahmed.

Al-Roj holds around 2,225 people, including 730 foreign families from 42 countries, plus some Iraqis and Syrians. Originally part of facilities detaining over 50,000 IS-linked individuals since 2019, its population has shrunk through prior repatriations. The SDF guards the site via Asayish forces, with aid groups still providing services despite regional instability.​

A joint SDF-Syrian government agreement facilitates emptying the camp, following Al-Hol's recent handover to Damascus. 

Countries must now contact the Democratic Autonomous Administration directly for citizen transfers, bypassing prior US-led coalition channels. 

Syrian authorities prioritize releasing uncharged women and children to their homelands or local communities after seven years without due process.​

The clashes between SDF forces and the Syrian army prompted US transfers of 7,000 male IS detainees to Iraq in January 2026. The ceasefire integrates SDF elements into state structures, aiming to resolve long-term IS detention burdens while securing sites against extremism resurgence.