2026 Kobani prison riot and fire
On 11 September 2026, a prison riot and subsequent fire broke out at the Ayn al-Arab Prison in Kobani, Syria over the [...] of the former Kurdish fighter Sami Sheikhmous Hiso and the transfer of prisoners to Aleppo.
Cause
Sami Sheikhmous Hiso, also known as Sipan Hazni, was a former Kurdish fighter for the Syrian Democratic Forces which had dissolved on 25 August 2026. After its dissolution, Hiso then joined the Syrian Army but was abducted in Hasakah by a group of gunmen. Hiso’s body was returned to Kobani, a majority Kurdish town, on 10 September after he was kidnapped. Hiso's body showed gunshot wounds which the Kurds blamed on an Arab tribe. Protests erupted in the region in condemnation over Hiso's death but were dispersed by stones and gunfire. A series of arrests were conducted by the Syrian Internal Security Forces with several young men being detained at Ayn al-Arab Prison.
Tensions escalated within the prison after Internal Security Command then decided to transfer the detainees to Syrian-controlled prisons in Aleppo, with 13 detainees having been transported, which the Kurdish prisoners opposed.
Prison riot and fire
On the night of 11 September, a prison riot broke out at Ayn al-Arab Prison after the prisoners overheard Internal Security Forces personnel discussing the prison's plan to transfer them to Aleppo. Around 2:00 a.m (AST) of 12 September, a prisoner reportedly self-immolated in protest of the transfers, which then set fire to bedding and foam mattresses, causing a blaze that spread between several dormitories.
Aftermath
Twenty-six inmates were affected by the fire, with at least 9 inmates dying as a result of the riot, and 17 being injured in various degrees by smoke inhalation and burns with 4 reported in critical conditions.
On 13 September, a two-day period of mourning was declared in Kobani, with public activity ceasing and business closing. On 14 September, 5 p.m. (AST) a mass funeral ceremony was held at Dicle Martyr’s Shrine in Kobani and was attended by hundreds of people.
Syrian Presidential Adviser Mazloum Abdi gave condolences and announced that investigations were underway.