Nine SDF Fighters Killed in Attack on Aqtan Prison Near Raqqa
The SDF Media Center said the assault triggered heavy fighting as SDF units sought to repel the attackers and prevent the escape of imprisoned ISIS members. The SDF described the security situation at the facility as “extremely dangerous,” adding that clashes were ongoing.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) — The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) said nine of its fighters (Sharvan) were killed and 20 others wounded during an attack by Syrian Arab Army-affiliated groups on Aqtan prison, located on the outskirts of the northern Syrian city of Raqqa.
In a statement released on Monday, the SDF Media Center said the assault triggered heavy fighting as SDF units sought to repel the attackers and prevent the escape of imprisoned ISIS members. The SDF described the security situation at the facility as “extremely dangerous,” adding that clashes were ongoing.
According to the statement, the SDF has been coordinating with the international coalition for the past three days to transfer ISIS detainees from Aqtan prison to a safer location due to escalating security threats. However, the SDF criticized the coalition for failing to take practical steps, despite what it said were repeated assurances.
“The attack on the prison took place amid continued delays in transferring the prisoners, increasing the risks to both security forces and civilians,” the statement said.
The SDF reiterated that the casualties included nine fighters killed and 20 wounded during efforts to secure the prison and block any potential breakout by ISIS inmates.
The developments come against a broader backdrop of rising threats to detention facilities holding ISIS members in Western Kurdistan (northeastern Syria). Earlier, the SDF in a statement said that that al-Shaddadi Prison, which holds thousands of ISIS detainees, came under repeated attacks early this morning by factions affiliated with Damascus. The SDF fighters resisted the assaults multiple times, suffering dozens of casualties, but the International Coalition base nearby did not intervene despite repeated calls. As a result of the attacks, the prison has now fallen outside SDF control.
The SDF has repeatedly warned that continued instability and attacks on prisons holding ISIS members could lead to mass escapes, posing serious regional and international security risks.