Nearly 120 ISIS Militants Escape from Shaddadi Prison Amid Escalating Clashes in Northeast Syria

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) — Syria’s Interior Ministry said nearly 120 ISIS militants have escaped from Shaddadi prison in the countryside of Hasakah province, following heavy attacks that led to a breakdown of security at the detention facility controlled by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

In a statement based on field sources, the ministry said the escape occurred after intense assaults on the prison caused a collapse in security conditions, enabling a large number of detained ISIS members to break out and flee. The prison was under the administrative and military control of the SDF at the time of the incident.

Damascus warned that the escape of what it described as “highly dangerous” ISIS elements poses a serious threat to national security and regional stability, noting that the fugitives are considered among the organization’s most hardened operatives.

Shaddadi prison is one of the most significant detention centers holding ISIS inmates in northeastern Syria. It has become a focal point of clashes in recent days. The SDF had previously acknowledged losing control of the facility due to the intensity of the attacks and the absence of sufficient international support.

The incident coincides with a series of other attacks targeting ISIS detention facilities in Raqqa and Hasakah, heightening international concern over the potential reorganization and resurgence of ISIS cells in the region.

Separately, the Democratic Syrian Council issued a statement warning of a sharp deterioration in security and military conditions across northern and eastern Syria. The council said the region is witnessing a dangerous escalation driven by attacks carried out by Syrian armed groups operating under the umbrella of the so-called “interim government.”

According to the council, these attacks explicitly target Kurdish civilians and local defense forces, recalling that these forces have played a leading and decisive role in the fight against terrorism, the defeat of ISIS, and the protection of regional and global security.

The council urged the international community and relevant actors to set clear limits on these attacks, warning that they undermine stability and risk reigniting terrorist threats.

Meanwhile, the SDF, in coordination with the Women’s Protection Units (YPJ), said it had repelled a series of intense attacks by armed groups affiliated with Damascus in the vicinity of the town of Sirrin, south of Kobane. The SDF media center reported heavy losses among the attackers following direct clashes that remain ongoing.

Official figures released Tuesday said seven military vehicles belonging to the attacking groups were completely destroyed, while four armored vehicles were damaged and put out of service.

SDF and YPJ forces also shot down four attacking drones in the area, in what they described as a firm response to five consecutive attacks targeting Sirrin’s countryside. The military escalation comes as areas around Kobane and its southern countryside face mounting pressure from pro-Damascus armed groups.

The SDF said its forces, in coordination with the YPJ, remain on high alert to repel any attempts at territorial advances, stressing that maintaining regional stability and countering attacks remain top operational priorities.

Sirrin, located south of Kobane, holds strategic geographic importance and has been repeatedly targeted by militia attacks in recent days. Despite this, the SDF said it has so far managed to hold defensive lines and prevent any field advances by the attackers.