Isis bride Shamima Begum ‘could be free in DAYS’ as bloody clashes break out in Syrian detention camp

Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), the US-backed coalition responsible for guarding Islamic State detention sites, have been steadily ceding territory to Syrian government troops amid intense combat in the region.

The makeshift prisons and camps hold more than 9,000 battle-hardened IS fighters alongside approximately 40,000 women and children linked to the group.

Among those detained are dozens of British nationals, with an estimated 20 women, 40 children and 10 men believed to be spread across the various facilities - including Shamima Begum.

Kurdish officials have labelled these detention sites "ticking time bombs".

On Sunday, barefoot prisoners were already spotted fleeing from Deir al-Zour, with one man filmed telling a passer-by: "Most of us, whether from Arab tribes or the Free Syrian Army, did not expect to be freed in our lifetimes."

The SDF cautioned that government attempts to seize the prisons "could have serious security repercussions that threaten stability and pave the way for a return to chaos and terrorism".

Sir Peter Fahy, a former chief constable and member of an independent counter-terrorism commission, warned Begum was now at risk and that the Government could not let the matter "fester".

"In certain scenarios, she would be at enormous risk because of certain things she has said and because she has tried to get back to the UK," he said.

"Women and children in the camps will be in great danger. Who can predict what actually will occur among the fighters and extremists?"

Maya Foa, chief executive of Reprieve, described the situation as "a reality check for the Government's failed policy".

"Abandoning British men, women and children in dangerously unstable prison camps was always an unsustainable and indefensibly weak approach.

“The US repatriated its people long ago and has consistently urged Britain to do the same," she said, urging ministers to "take action before it's too late".

Dominic Grieve, the former attorney general, stated: "In our report, we made clear that she is the responsibility of the UK. At the end of the day, we are going to have to shoulder that responsibility."

Conservative MP David Davis revealed the issue was the only matter on which he had received a personal visit from the US State Department.

"There are three reasons for bringing her back," he said.

"One, she should never have gone. Two, it's better for our security that she is back and not left to find a way of coming back illegally, potentially as a terrorist in the future. Thirdly, there is a risk to their lives."

Fighting in Syria broke out on Monday at three separate detention sites: al-Aqtan prison close to Raqqa, a facility in Deir al-Zour, and another in the town of al-Shadadi, which collectively hold thousands of IS members.

Iraqi authorities reported that dozens of militants managed to flee from both al-Aqtan and the Deir al-Zour prison, prompting Baghdad to send additional troops to reinforce its border.

"If the camps collapse in a disorderly fashion, there are some people within those camps who are adherents to Isis and will be out," a regional expert familiar with the situation told The Telegraph.

Western officials have characterised the detainees as a potential terror army in waiting.

The new Syrian Government, which came into force in January 2025, assumed legal and security responsibility for IS detainees and camps.

However, Government soldiers were filmed launching rockets and firing automatic weapons at Kurdish positions near al-Aqtan, with troops heard shouting "Allahu akbar".

The SDF characterised the violence as a "highly dangerous development", accusing jihadist elements within Damascus’s new military of orchestrating the attacks.

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