SHOTLIST

RAQQA, SYRIA (JAN. 19, 2026) (ANADOLU – ACCESS ALL)

1. VARIOUS OF TROOPS NEAR PRISON / EXPLOSIONS RAQQA, SYRIA - JAN. 19, 2026: Clashes broke out in Syria’s Raqqa province as YPG/SDF militants refused to hand over the Aktan Prison, which holds a number of Daesh suspects, and engaged in fighting with Syrian army forces, according to security sources, on Monday, Jan. 19.

Anadolu teams videoed the prison, located about 10 kilometres northeast of Raqqa city centre, where army units came under fire when they approached the facility during daylight hours to carry out the transfer.

Sources said YPG/SDG members rejected demands to hand over the prison, with intermittent clashes continuing into the evening.

Local sources said around 30 YPG/SDG ringleaders and some elements linked to the former regime had taken refuge inside the prison after fleeing army operations, with the total number of armed militants inside estimated at around 300.

They added that many of those held in the prison are civilians detained arbitrarily, while Syrian army units continue to keep the facility under siege.

On Sunday evening, Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa announced a ceasefire and an agreement for the full integration of the SDF into state institutions.

Under the deal, the SDF will withdraw its military formations east of the Euphrates River and hand over administrative and security control of Raqqa and Deir ez-Zor provinces to the Syrian state.

The agreement also provides for the integration of SDF military and security personnel into the Syrian ministries of defense and interior following individual security vetting, as well as the transfer of border crossings, oil and gas fields, and civilian institutions to government control.

The announcement followed a military operation launched by the Syrian Army, through which it regained wide areas in eastern and northeastern Syria after repeated violations by the SDF of earlier agreements signed with Damascus nearly a year ago.