Testimony collected by the Syrian verification platform Verify-Sy alleges that over 20 civilians were killed by Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) during a prison escape and subsequent field executions in the countryside of Ain al-Arab (Kobani), in late January 2026. The account comes from one of the few survivors, identified under the pseudonym “Mukhtar,” whose identity Verify-Sy said it confirmed, but is concealed for security reasons.
According to the testimony, events began on Jan. 19, 2026, inside a prison in the village of Yidi Qawi, east of Kobani. Mukhtar said tensions escalated after prison authorities removed televisions from dormitories and news spread among inmates about a rumored amnesty that was not applied equally. Prisoners in one dormitory protested by burning blankets and damaging property, prompting thick smoke that risked suffocation.
Mukhtar said local civil administration officials opened several dormitories to prevent injuries. In the ensuing chaos, between 300 and 400 prisoners fled the facility, splitting into groups that headed toward Sareen and Kobani across rugged terrain.
Gunfire and Initial Deaths
Mukhtar told Verify-Sy that at around 9 p.m., roughly 1.5 kilometers from the prison, one group encountered five military vehicles approaching from the Kobani side. He said SDF elements initially fired into the air, then opened direct fire on the fleeing prisoners.
He reported that four or five people were killed in the first round of shooting, with others seriously injured. One wounded prisoner, identified as “Bashar,” suffered stab wounds, according to the testimony. The remaining prisoners continued running until they reached a military checkpoint, where a new phase of detention began.
Mukhtar said those detained were civilians serving sentences ranging from one to eight years, many of whom had already completed most of their terms. He said he himself had served eight months of a one-year sentence.
Checkpoint Detention and Sorting
At the checkpoint, Mukhtar said detainees were forced to lie face down on the road, tied up and photographed at gunpoint. He alleged that some elements prepared to execute the entire group, but an intervention by female fighters led to a heated argument in Kurdish that stopped the shooting.
Mukhtar said a civil administration official identified as “Abdulbari” later persuaded the prisoners to return to the prison under his personal guarantee of safety. Once back inside, authorities conducted what Mukhtar described as a screening process based on regional court affiliation.
Prisoners linked to Kobani and Sareen were eventually allowed to leave, while about 75 detainees from Raqqa and Tabqa remained isolated until Jan. 22. That day, Mukhtar said they were told to walk toward Sareen, a move he described as an expulsion rather than a release.
Alleged Field Executions
Mukhtar said the group heading toward Sareen encountered commandos who subjected them to verbal abuse with ethnic overtones and accused them of treason. Despite claims of a release decision, he alleged that violence escalated, including the stabbing of four people upon arrival at around 9 p.m.
He said “Muhammad Ali Khalaf” attempted to rescue two wounded prisoners and transport them to a military hospital without formal medical care. Khalaf later disappeared under circumstances Mukhtar described as consistent with execution. Mukhtar said another survivor, “Muhannad,” later told him that all members of a separate group had been “liquidated” at a checkpoint.
Victim Count and Location Dispute
Based on his observations and matching clothing, Mukhtar confirmed five deaths by name, including Mahmoud Abdullah al-Ayad, known as Abu Halab, and Abbas Muhammad al-Hussein. He estimated the total number of victims at 40 to 45, far higher than the 21 bodies shown in videos circulated online.
Verify-Sy said Mukhtar’s testimony, corroborated with Syrian journalist Ahmad al-Sakhni, led to a revised location of the alleged executions at coordinates 36.775767, 38.307776 near the Ruffi silos in the Kobani countryside.
The platform said this corrected an earlier satellite-based assessment and provided a more precise spatial context for the killings. A local page, “Radar Sareen,” mourned several victims whose names partially matched Mukhtar’s account, though Verify-Sy said it could not independently confirm all identities.
Protests and Calls for Accountability
The allegations fueled protests across northeastern Syria. Residents demonstrated Friday, Feb. 6, in Hasakah governorate towns including Yarubiyah, Tal Brak, Hawl and Shaddadi, as well as in Jarniyah in Raqqa governorate, under the slogan “Save Hasakah.” Protesters condemned what they described as SDF violations and demanded accountability for the reported killings.
Residents near the Tishreen Dam in rural Aleppo also held demonstrations demanding the return of the bodies of 22 men allegedly killed near Kobani. The SDF has not publicly responded in detail to the survivor testimony, while Verify-Sy said it continues to document evidence related to the case.
