Some 15,000 at large after security collapses at Syrian detention camp holding ISIS family members

U.S. intelligence agencies estimate that 15,000 to 20,000 individuals linked to the Islamic State are now unaccounted for in Syria following the breakdown of security at a detention camp, the Wall Street Journal reported Friday citing U.S. officials familiar with the matter.

The Al-Hol facility, which housed families of Islamic State fighters, had long drawn warnings from security analysts who said the camp risked fostering further radicalization, particularly of the children growing up in the camp. The facility was guarded for years by the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

Security deteriorated after Syrian government forces defeated the SDF and took control of the area last month. In the ensuing unrest, large numbers of detainees fled.

The camp, located in Syria’s eastern desert near the Iraqi border, once held more than 70,000 people after U.S.-backed forces dismantled Islamic State’s self-declared caliphate in 2019. More than 23,000 people remained there at the end of 2025, according to a report released this week by the Pentagon’s Inspector General.

Western diplomats in Damascus estimate that more than 20,000 people left the camp within days amid rioting and escape attempts. A diplomat tracking the situation said 300 to 400 families remained at the start of the week.

U.S. officials cited in the report attributed the crisis to mismanagement by Syria’s government and inadequate security along the camp’s perimeter.

Syria’s government, led by President Ahmed al-Sharaa, acknowledged that many former detainees dispersed to other parts of the country. Officials said they plan to monitor suspected extremists and pursue reintegration efforts. The government blamed the SDF for abandoning the camp during a January offensive, saying the site was left unguarded for hours.