Raqqa: Syrian security forces in the northeastern province of Raqqa have released 126 inmates, all minors, from a prison previously managed by the YPG/SDF terrorist group, as reported by Alikhbaria Syria TV on Saturday. The detainees, all under the age of 18, were freed from Al-Aqtan prison.

According to Anadolu Agency, the release was confirmed by an unnamed security source who stated, "Internal security released 126 prisoners from Al-Aqtan prison in Raqqa, all of them under 18." The Information Minister, Hamza al-Mustafa, shared on the social media platform X that the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) had posted footage depicting the release of the detainees.

Al-Mustafa emphasized the significance of the event, noting, "These children are not merely detainees; they are sons and daughters whose childhoods were stolen. They should have been in schools and playgrounds, not behind prison walls. Every face among them carries a story of fear, separation, and lost innocence." He underscored that no justification could explain the presence of a child in prison, highlighting the moral implications of their detention.

On social media, presidential spokesman Ahmed Muaffaq Zaidan described the detention as a "full-fledged scandal carried out by gangs outside the bounds of time and place." The Justice Ministry announced on Friday that it had taken official control of Al-Aqtan prison after the withdrawal of SDF elements, marking an effort to extend governmental authority and re-establish lawful operations within the facility. The Interior Ministry has also commenced a review of the detainees' files.

The Syrian Army announced on Friday that its units had started transferring SDF elements from Al-Aqtan prison and its surroundings in Raqqa to Ayn al-Arab, east of Aleppo. This development marks the first phase of implementing an agreement from January 18, which aims to facilitate the government's takeover of the prison facility.