Syria Power Transition Fuels Spread of Misinformation Online

Syria’s Political Transformation Fuels Wave of Misinformation Online

Syria is undergoing a dramatic transformation, just over a year after Islamist-led rebels ousted Syrian President Bashar Assad and 15 years after the civil war plunged the country into chaos.

The new leadership under President Ahmed al-Sharaa is consolidating control over northern regions long administered by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). As part of this transition, the SDF is now being pressured to hand over critical sites, including the al-Hol camp, where thousands of relatives of Islamic State (IS) fighters have been detained for years.

As international allegiances shift, the high-priority camp changes hands, and state-led troops push into new territory, social media has been flooded with misleading or entirely fabricated videos purporting to show “current” events in Syria.

A fact check by Deutsche Welle reviewed several viral clips and found them to be false or misrepresented, highlighting the dangerous spread of misinformation during this sensitive political transition.

False Claims of Mass Escapes from al-Hol Camp

One widely circulated video allegedly showing a large escape of IS-affiliated detainees from al-Hol camp has gained significant traction on multiple platforms in both Arabic and English. The captions commonly claim: “Major prison revolt at al-Hol camp – ISIS families are currently trying to escape.”

The claim is false. The video is old and does not show recent events. Al-Hol is a notorious camp where the SDF has held thousands of relatives of suspected IS militants, and one of the central concerns circulating online is the fear that IS militants could re-emerge as the camp changes hands.

A reverse image search revealed that this footage was circulating as early as September 2025, when the X account Rojava News published a longer version, including a Kurdish TV Channel 8 reporter visible on-scene. Agence France-Presse and other news agencies reported that SDF authorities did thwart an attempted escape from al-Hol camp involving IS families in September 2025.

Misrepresented Footage of “Kurdish Supporters”

Another viral claim suggests that tens of thousands of people from Northern Kurdistan are crossing the border on their way to Rojava to support their people. This claim has been shared widely on social media alongside a video showing large crowds moving along snow-covered roads, with one post garnering nearly a million views on X.

This claim is also false. By tracing the audio on Instagram, researchers identified the clip as having been posted in January 2023, long before the current Syrian developments. Users in the comment sections identified the scene as crowds returning from a sports event, specifically linked to Kökbörü (also known as Kokpar), a traditional horseback contest played across Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan. The video has no connection to the Syrian–Turkish border or any movement toward Rojava.

Iranian Footage Misrepresented as Syrian Border Unrest

Another misleading video allegedly shows rioters burning what is described as a police station at the Nusaybin border crossing, with captions claiming: “The people of North Kurdistan have set fire to the Nusaybin border gate and are attempting to cross into Qamishlo.”

This claim is false. The scene does not take place anywhere near the Syria–Turkey border. People in the video can be heard speaking Farsi, and the building on fire matches the architectural style of Iranian police stations. A reverse image search found unverified reports in Israeli media about protests in Iran dating back to early January. Given that clashes between protesters and police in Iran intensified around January 8, the footage is likely older, making it unrelated to current events in Syria.

AI-Generated Soldier Video Spreads False Narrative

Perhaps most concerning is the circulation of an AI-generated video purporting to show an American female soldier stating she feels “shame and embarrassment” regarding events in Rojava and affirming that the United States has indirectly contributed to crimes against Kurdish fighters.

The video shows a woman in army attire, crying and wiping tears in front of a waving American flag. However, the video displays clear signs of AI generation, including inconsistencies in background elements that warp and flicker, tears that disappear or land unnaturally, and a name tag that reads “WHADR”—a nonexistent surname with visibly trembling lettering. An AI detection tool assessed the clip as 69% likely AI-generated.

Furthermore, the soldier in the video does not actually use the quoted words “shame and embarrassment,” nor does she mention anything about United States involvement in the region.

Shifting Alliances and Real-World Context

The United States was once the SDF’s main ally in the region. However, after negotiations collapsed, the US shifted its support to the new government led by President al-Sharaa, leaving Kurdish forces in a precarious position.

This dramatic realignment has created fertile ground for misinformation. The al-Hol camp, which houses thousands of IS-affiliated families, represents a particular security concern as control changes hands, fueling fears about potential IS resurgence.

As Syria continues to undergo rapid political and territorial changes, misinformation spreads across social platforms—often recycling old, misidentified, or AI-generated content to stoke fear or fuel political narratives. This phenomenon highlights the critical importance of media literacy and fact-checking during periods of political transition and conflict.