DAMASCUS, Jan. 23 (Xinhua) -- Syrian security authorities said Friday they had taken control of Al-Aqtan Prison near the city of Raqqa, northern Syria, after it was handed over by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

Syrian security forces are deployed at the Al-Hol camp in the northeastern province of Hasakah, Syria, Jan. 21, 2026. (Photo: Xinhua)

In a statement, authorities said security personnel were deployed to secure the facility and maintain order. They added that officials had begun reviewing detainees' personal and legal files, saying each case would be handled individually under Syrian law.

The statement said engineering teams dismantled numerous explosive devices planted inside the prison before the SDF withdrawal. The explosives were detected by K9 units and removed safely, preventing potential casualties and damage, it added.

Earlier Friday, a source from Syria's interim authority said the takeover followed an internationally mediated agreement aimed at easing tensions and stabilizing control points in Raqqa province, once the "de facto capital" of the Islamic State (IS) group.

Under the deal, about 800 SDF fighters, including Syrians and foreign nationals, withdrew from the prison and nearby facilities and relocated toward the town of Kobani, carrying only light weapons and under official supervision.

Forces loyal to Damascus and security forces assumed control of the prison, including sections holding IS detainees, the source said.

Al-Aqtan is a high-security prison that has held suspected IS fighters, including foreign nationals, since the group's defeat in 2019 and is considered one of northern Syria's most sensitive facilities due to its large number of high-risk detainees.