4th batch of prisoners, IDPs to return within days

Private sources stated to ANHA agency that preparations are underway for a new prisoner exchange between the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the Syrian Interim Government, scheduled for Saturday, April 25, 2026.

According to the sources, all necessary procedures have been completed, and this will be the fourth such exchange.

If the prisoner exchange is successful, a fourth batch of displaced people from Afrin city will be sent between Monday and Tuesday of next week.

These measures are part of the implementation of the January 29th Agreement held between SDF and the Interim Government in Syria, which stipulates a phased prisoner exchange and the return of displaced persons.

The first exchange took place on March 10th, 2026, and involved the release of 100 individuals held by the Syrian Interim Government in exchange for 100 individuals held by SDF. This was the first step in implementing the agreement, and those released arrived in Hasaka city.

The second phase, implemented on March 19th, 2026, witnessed the release of 300 individuals held by the Interim Government in exchange for 300 individuals held by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), in the context of the ongoing implementation of the agreement.

In the third phase, which took place on April 11th, 2026, an additional 400 individuals held by the Interim Government were released in exchange for 91 individuals held by SDF, completing the agreed-upon exchange phases.

The prisoner exchange was scheduled to take place at the beginning of this week, but technical reasons, according to both sides, led to the process postponement.

The SDF affirmed that the issue of prisoners and their return to their families constitutes a priority in implementing the terms of the agreement signed with the Interim Government.

ANHA