ISIL fighters flee jail as Syrian army clashes with Kurdish-led SDF

Al JazeeraCenterEN 2 min read 100% complete by Al Jazeera StaffJanuary 19, 2026 at 07:42 PM

AI Summary

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In January 2026, the Syrian army announced a curfew in al-Shaddadi, northeast Syria, after ISIL fighters escaped from a prison during clashes between the army and the Kurdish-led SDF. The Syrian army claimed complete control of the city and prison, accusing the SDF of deliberately releasing ISIL members. The SDF stated they lost control of the prison due to an army attack, resulting in casualties and a lack of intervention from the US-led coalition. This occurred a day after the Syrian government announced a ceasefire deal with the SDF involving a withdrawal from parts of Syria. The Syrian army is currently searching al-Shaddadi and the surrounding areas for the escaped fighters.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Raqqa 40% Al Jazeera Arabic ×240% Ahmed al-Sharaa 40% Ministry of Interior 40% SANA ×250% Al-Aqtan prison ×260% United States-led coalition against ISIL 60% Al-Shaddadi ×480% Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) ×680% ISIL (ISIS) ×590% Syrian Army ×590% Syria ×390%

Keywords

isil fighters 100% syrian army 90% kurdish-led sdf 90% prison escape 80% al-shaddadi 70% syria 70% clashes 60% ceasefire 50% al-aqtan prison 50% united states-led coalition 40%