Kurdish-led forces in northeast Syria have withdrawn from the al-Hol detention camp, which holds tens of thousands of Islamic State-linked detainees. This comes as Syrian government troops advance rapidly in the region. The camp houses the most radical foreign women suspected of IS links and their families. Neighboring countries and the global community worry that a jailbreak could spark chaos. A smaller group of female detainees, including Shamima Begum who lost UK citizenship, remain at al-Roj camp, still under Kurdish control. A Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) spokesperson said, “Our forces were compelled to withdraw from Al-Hol camp and redeploy in the vicinity of cities in northern Syria that are facing increasing risks and threats,” calling the withdrawal a “failure of the international community.” The Syrian government declared it will take control of the camp, accusing the SDF of abandoning guards and allowing detainees to escape. Damascus also accused the Kurdish forces of a similar abandonment in a Raqqa prison where 120 prisoners escaped, a charge denied by the SDF. The SDF lost major cities like Raqqa and Deir el-Zour as tribal groups defected and pushed SDF to retreat from Arab-majority areas. These losses mark the swiftest change in control since the fall of former President Bashar al-Assad’s regime in December 2024. A ceasefire agreement signed on Sunday between Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa and SDF leader Mazloum Abdi collapsed by the next day after talks in Damascus failed. Ilham Ahmed, a senior Kurdish official, said, “They wanted a direct handing over of everything to Damascus. However, with or without this meeting they wanted to go to war … and now their plan is to massacre the Kurds.” Kurdish officials called for general mobilisation to resist Damascus’s advance. Clashes continue, with shelling in Kurdish areas near the Turkish border and Syrian forces entering Hasakeh city. The Syrian government claims it will not enter Kurdish-majority areas, aiming to restore stability and protect government institutions. The SDF was the US’s main ally against IS and controlled about a third of Syria since 2019. Despite previous agreements, fighting and disagreements continued. The US urged Syria to stop at the Euphrates river, but Damascus pushed forward silently. The Syrian government now controls key oil, gas fields, and dams. The SDF called for international help, which has yet to come. “Our calls for intervention from the coalition went unanswered until this moment and there remains a very urgent need for intervention,” said Ilham Ahmed.