Pro-IS propaganda circulates online following Syrian detention camp takeover

CIR identified a surge in pro-Islamic State (IS) activity on Facebook following the Syrian government takeover of Al-Hol detention camp in late January, with posts spreading propaganda and coordinating logistical and financial support for detainee escapes.

CIR has conducted an in-depth investigation using open-source evidence to show how high levels of pro-IS activity are circulating on Facebook following the Syrian government takeover of the Al-Hol detention camp. This investigation took place between 20 and 22 January.

One year after the fall of the Assad regime, Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa has sought to assert his government control across Syria, including provinces which had been semi-autonomous throughout much of the nearly 14-year civil war.

In January 2026, Syrian government forces moved into north-eastern Syria, forcing a withdrawal by Kurdish security forces and personnel who had been largely responsible for administering the region—including several detention centres— over the previous decade. One of these key sites is the Al-Hol camp where thousands of families accused of having ties to the Islamic State (IS) are being detained, often arbitrarily, according to the United Nations.

Calls for violence

In the days following the transfer of the Al-Hol detention camp from Kurdish-led forces to the Syrian government on 21 January 2026, Facebook became a hub for Islamic State (IS) supporters actively coordinating logistics to aid detainees attempting to escape. CIR’s investigation into over 100 explicitly calling for vehicles, funding, and volunteers to facilitate the flight of IS-affiliated families, exposing a serious enforcement gap in Meta’s counterterrorism efforts amid an active security crisis.

The Al-Hol camp, which primarily holds women and children accused of affiliation to IS, became a focal point of conflict as Syrian government forces reasserted control over north-eastern Syria. CIR documented dozens of Facebook accounts pushing pro-IS narratives, denouncing the Syrian government forces and urging supporters to prepare armed resistance.

A threat to the region’s security

One Facebook user called on sympathisers capable of bearing arms to ‘‘take the heads’’ of government forces, whom the poster described with derogatory terms, anticipating attempts to return detainees to their countries of origin. This call for violent resistance highlights the ongoing threat IS elements pose to the region’s security.

The most persistent theme in the posts was urgent appeals for logistical support. One user asked for vehicles to transport families escaping Al-Hol, emphasising that shelter was available but transport was the ‘‘dilemma’’. Another poster criticised those who had promised but failed to provide transportation, directing interested supporters to a private Telegram channel for coordination.

Financial appeals were also prevalent. Pro-IS accounts launched campaigns soliciting donations from supporters abroad to aid foreign detainees and escapees, often guiding users to private messaging services and closed Telegram groups for further discussion and support. One widely shared post included an interview with a Ukrainian detainee, used to rally international pro-IS support.

The coordination documented by CIR shows that logistical support networks for IS detainees remain active, not just ideological sympathy. Such activity exposes a critical gap between Meta’s stated counterterrorism policies and enforcement during a volatile political transition in Syria.

The surge in support for escaping detainees underscores challenges for the Syrian government in maintaining control over Al-Hol, which remains symbolic and operationally significant in global IS narratives.