Displaced families from Afrin to begin returning home on Saturday: Hasaka governor
[Rudaw] Around 1,200 displaced families from the predominantly Kurdish city of Afrin in northwestern Syria are set to return to their homes on Saturday, according to the governor of Hasaka, who said preparations for the process have been completed as authorities push toward ending displacement and political detentions in northeast Syria (Rojava).
“Our goal is for no displaced person and no political prisoner to remain,” Hasaka Governor Nour al-Din Ahmed told Rudaw, adding that officials are working toward reaching a “zero displacement” stage “where no family remains in a state of displacement.”
Families in Afrin have faced repeated waves of displacement since first fleeing in 2018 during a Turkish-backed offensive.
They were forced to flee again in 2024 in the wake of the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime, and once more this year following renewed clashes between the interim authorities and Kurdish forces in northern Syria and Rojava, which came to an end following a landmark January deal.
In mid-January, the Syrian Arab Army and affiliated armed groups launched a major offensive into areas held by the SDF. The operation led to the gradual withdrawal of Kurdish-led forces from territories in eastern Aleppo, Deir ez-Zor, Raqqa, as well as the Kurdish-majority Hasaka province.
After weeks of fighting, an internationally brokered agreement between the SDF and Damascus was signed in late January. One of the key clauses of the deal was the return of displaced persons, including those to Afrin.
Ahmed stressed that authorities are seeking to eliminate politically motivated detentions.
“Another of our primary goals is to have zero political prisoners or detainees of opinion,” he said, adding that efforts are underway to ensure complete security and stability.
According to the governor, once the return process is stabilized, authorities will shift focus toward improving services for residents across the region.
Syrian government releases 232 SDF fighters in latest prisoner exchange
Rudaw
[Rudaw] The Syrian government on Friday released 232 fighters affiliated with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) as part of an ongoing prisoner exchange agreement between Damascus and the autonomous administration, reuniting hundreds of families across northeast Syria (Rojava).
The freed detainees, who had spent months in Syrian government prisons, arrived in the northeastern city of Hasaka in convoys of vehicles, where emotional crowds gathered to welcome them home.
The exchange stems from a landmark January 29 agreement between the SDF and Damascus, brokered with significant mediation by the United States through Special Envoy for Syria Tom Barrack, alongside Kurdish political figures from the Kurdistan Region.
The deal came after tensions escalated sharply in mid-January, when Syrian government forces and allied armed groups captured areas previously controlled by the SDF in eastern Aleppo, Raqqa, Deir ez-Zor, and Hasaka provinces.
Under the January agreement, both sides committed to a permanent ceasefire and to integrating civil and military institutions in Rojava into the Syrian state. The accord also outlined a phased prisoner exchange and broader integration measures, including the formation of three SDF brigades within the Syrian army.
Of the roughly 1,070 SDF-linked detainees previously held by Damascus, around 800 have now been released, according to officials.
“The remaining detainees will also be released soon,” Hasaka governor Nour al-Din Ahmed said. “However, the process has not yet been completed and no date has been set.”
Former detainee Raman Mihyedin said prisoners endured harsh conditions during their captivity.
“We knew the Kurds would not abandon us,” Mihyedin told Rudaw. Asked about their treatment in prison, he added: “Their treatment of us was not good.”
Neither the Syrian government nor the SDF has disclosed how many prisoners remain in custody.
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