Families accuse Damascus of stalling release of detained SDF fighters

Shafaq News- Qamishli

Families of detained Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) fighters protested in northeastern Syria on Sunday, accusing Damascus of delaying the release of prisoners despite a ceasefire agreement reached earlier this year between the Syrian government and Kurdish-led forces.

The demonstration took place in the city of Qamishli, where relatives of detainees called on Syrian authorities to free captured SDF members and disclose the fate of missing fighters. Sherin Youssef, whose brother was captured during the SDF withdrawal from the Deir Hafir area in eastern Aleppo countryside, told Shafaq News that families had grown increasingly frustrated by what they see as “slow implementation” of the agreement signed in January.

A Syrian government source told Shafaq News that Damascus was coordinating with the SDF to release the remaining detainees “before Eid al-Adha.” The Syrian government released 232 detained SDF members in Hasakah province on May 8 as part of the agreement, which also includes prisoner exchanges and security coordination between the two sides.

In April, presidential envoy Ziad al-Ayesh, who oversees implementation of the agreement, announced the release of around 1,500 detainees affiliated with the SDF.

Hundreds of SDF fighters were captured earlier this year during clashes in the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyah districts of Aleppo, as well as during withdrawals from Deir Hafir, Raqqa, Tabqa, and Deir ez-Zor.