The Syrian army has moved into the al-Hawl detention camp after Kurdish forces pulled out. This camp, in al-Hasakah province, holds about 24,000 people, including 15,000 Syrians and 6,300 foreign women and children from 42 countries. Kurdish forces said on Tuesday they were “compelled to withdraw” to protect cities in northern Syria. Shortly after, a ceasefire agreement was announced. An AFP reporter saw a large group of Syrian soldiers open the camp’s metal gate and enter while others guarded the entrance. Al-Hawl is the largest camp for families of suspected Islamic State (IS) fighters, built by Kurdish forces who led the fight against IS with international support until IS was defeated in Syria in 2019. The Syrian defence ministry stated on Tuesday it was ready to handle al-Hawl camp and “all IS prisoners.” US envoy Tom Barrack said the Kurdish forces’ original role as the main anti-IS group had “largely expired.” The Syrian army deployed across northern and northeast Syria on Monday, filling areas previously held by Kurds. An agreement between Syria and Kurdish forces says the Syrian state will manage IS prisoners and integrate the Kurdish administration into state institutions. Syria’s interior ministry confirmed it is taking steps to keep al-Hawl secure. Besides al-Hawl, tens of thousands of relatives of former jihadists live in two camps in northern Syria, while thousands of ex-IS fighters, including many foreigners, are held in seven prisons.