Syria moves out last residents of ISIL-linked desert camp

Al JazeeraEN 2 min read 100% complete by By AFP and APFebruary 22, 2026 at 09:31 PM

AI Summary

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Syrian authorities announced the complete evacuation and closure of the al-Hol camp in the northeastern Hasakah province on February 22, 2026. The camp, which once housed as many as 73,000 people, primarily held relatives of suspected ISIL (ISIS) members. The last remaining residents, both Syrian and foreign nationals, were relocated from the camp, which had been under Syrian government control since the previous month after being taken over from Kurdish authorities. While the residents were not technically prisoners, they had been held in de facto detention at the heavily guarded facility for years. Thousands of former detainees have been sent to other camps, repatriated to Iraq, or left individually for their hometowns or government-held territories.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

United Kingdom 30% Damascus 40% Kurdish authorities 40% Aleppo province ×250% Iraq ×250% Akhtarin camp 50% Hasakah province 60% Syrian Observatory for Human Rights 60% Fadi al-Qassem ×280% Al-Hol camp ×590% Syria ×690% ISIL (ISIS) ×695%

Keywords

al-hol camp 100% isil (isis) 90% syria 80% relatives of isil members 70% camp evacuation 60% northeastern syria 50% kurdish authorities 40% repatriation 40%