GUARDS from the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have withdrawn from a camp in north-east Syria housing thousands of people linked to jihadist group Islamic State (Isis), a move which the Syrian military says allowed detainees to escape.

Hours later, the government and the SDF announced a new four-day truce after a previous ceasefire broke down. 

The two sides have been clashing for two weeks, amid a breakdown in negotiations over proposals to merge their forces.

The al-Hol camp houses mainly women and children who are relatives of Isis members. Thousands of alleged Isis militants are separately housed in prisons in north-east Syria.

Syria’s Interior Ministry accused the SDF on Tuesday of allowing the release of “a number of detainees from the Isis militant [group], along with their families.” 

The SDF subsequently confirmed that its guards had left the camp.

It blamed “international indifference toward the issue of the [Isis] terrorist organisation and the failure of the international community to assume its responsibilities in addressing this serious matter.”

The group said its forces had redeployed in other areas “that are facing increasing risks and threats” from government forces.

Syria’s Defence Ministry issued a statement saying it was prepared to take over the al-Hol camp and the prisons and accused the SDF of using them as “bargaining chips.”