ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the interim government in Damascus carried out another prisoner swap on Saturday, releasing nearly 500 detainees as part of an ongoing integration process.
According to local media, the SDF released 90 government-affiliated detainees, while Damascus freed 400 SDF members, including individuals captured during the latest fighting between the two sides in December and January.
“A new group of detainees was released on Saturday in the countryside of Hasakah, bringing the total number of those freed to around 1,500 detainees. Only a small number remain, God willing, paving the way for this humanitarian file to be fully closed,” Ziad al-Ayesh, a presidential representative tasked with implementing the January 29 agreement between the SDF and Damascus, said on Saturday.
“In the next phase, the Interior Ministry will assume full management of prisons run by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), while the Justice Ministry will begin reviewing the cases of all detainees accused of criminal offenses to ensure justice is carried out in accordance with legal procedures,” he added.