Instability Jeopardizes IS Detainee Security in Syria

Kurdish-run facilities in Syria currently hold approximately 8,000 suspected Islamic State (IS) fighters in prisons and about 34,000 of their family members in camps.

The region is experiencing increased instability as the central Syrian government in Damascus aims to extend its authority across all of Syria, which includes the Kurdish autonomous zone in the north-east. In the past two weeks, Syrian government forces have advanced, displacing the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) from resource-rich territories. The SDF had controlled these areas for a decade, since their victory over IS.

The potential for the region to become a conflict zone has raised questions regarding the security and ongoing management of these detainment facilities and camps.