This photo taken on April 11, 2026 shows buses carrying released detainees in Hasakah, Syria, April 11, 2026. (Str/Xinhua)
HASAKAH, Syria, April 11 (Xinhua) -- A new batch of detainees was released Saturday in Syria's northeastern city of Hasakah, as part of an ongoing prisoner exchange between the Syrian interim authority and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
Officials said the latest release brings the total number of freed detainees to around 1,500, with Saturday's group accounting for roughly one-third of the overall exchange.
The exchange involved about 400 detainees released from authorities in return for around 90 individuals freed by the SDF, state news agency SANA reported.
The releases follow a Jan. 29 agreement backed by Syria's interim leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, who has called the detainee file a top humanitarian priority.
Ziad al-Arish, commander overseeing the implementation of the agreement, noted that only a small number of detainees remain, "paving the way for the full closure of this humanitarian file."
Hundreds of families gathered at al-Sabag roundabout, anxiously waiting for news of missing relatives. While freed detainees expressed joy and relief, many families remain uncertain. "His name has not appeared among those released," said Faeq Mahmoud, a Hasakah resident searching for his nephew missing for two months.
Officials said that in the next phase, the interior authorities will take over prison management, and the justice authorities will review detainees' cases.
Tensions between the SDF and Syria's interim authority persist over governance, military authority, and the future integration of SDF forces into national institutions.
A fragile ceasefire has enabled cooperation on humanitarian and security issues, including detainee exchanges, but challenges remain, including unresolved detainee files and differing political visions for northeastern Syria. ■
People gather near buses carrying released detainees during a prisoner exchange between the Syrian interim authority and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in Hasakah, Syria, April 11, 2026. (Str/Xinhua)
People gather near buses carrying released detainees during a prisoner exchange between the Syrian interim authority and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in Hasakah, Syria, April 11, 2026. (Str/Xinhua)
A person holding a mobile phone checks information with released detainees sitting inside a bus during a prisoner exchange between the Syrian interim authority and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in Hasakah, Syria, April 11, 2026. (Str/Xinhua)
People gather near buses carrying released detainees during a prisoner exchange between the Syrian interim authority and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in Hasakah, Syria, April 11, 2026. (Str/Xinhua)
