300 ISIS prisoners have surrendered in Hasakah: SDF media official

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – About 300 ISIS prisoners who were part of a riot inside a detention facility in the northeast Syrian city of Hasakah have surrendered to Kurdish-led fighters besieging the prison, a Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) official said Monday.

The terrorist suspects "handed over their arms" after SDF calls for safe surrender in al-Sana'a prison, SDF media center head Farhad Shami tweeted. He added that the SDF would soon publish details of their efforts to put down the days-long riot.

The SDF noted in a follow-up statement that its fighters raided and quickly took control of one of the detention center's buildings where "terrorist mutineers had barricaded," saying further that the operation led to the surrender of "300 mutineers."

It also affirmed that the SDF and Internal Security Forces units continue to conduct a sweeping security campaign in the Ghwayran neighborhood, "tracking down the terrorist cells that have tried to support" the prison riot, the SDF statement added.

"Our forces show a high level of accuracy and caution for the safety of civilians who were used as human shields in some points holed by these terrorist cells. During clashes, eight terrorists were eliminated; on the other hand, one of our fighters was martyred."

On Sunday, the General Command of the SDF said that around 200 ISIS fighters attacked the prison in Hasakah on Jan. 20.

"Over the past three days, our forces neutralized more than 160 terrorist attackers and nearly 15 terrorist detainees who clashed with our forces while trying to escape prison," the SDF said.

The SDF's Coordination and Military Ops Center also tweeted that a number of ISIS prisoners in the Hasakah prison "are being rounded up continually and professionally by our forces." 

"The SDF will transfer these individuals to a new facility and ensure their and its security."

The US-led coalition against ISIS also supports the operation with air support.

The SDF's Coordination and Military Ops Center said coalition airstrikes "continue to strike the terrorists with precision."

"The leadership of the SDF is advancing its efforts to gain control of the whole prison."

Brig. Gen. Nick Ducich, director of the Military Advisory Group - North, told reporters, including Kurdistan 24, on Monday that the coalition is "supporting the SDF and their efforts to contain the breakout and recapture any remaining elements that escaped from the prison."

"The SDF has done a tremendous job in containing after the event in recapturing several hundred (ISIS fighters) and eliminating threats to the local area, and they'll continue to chase down those that are remaining and put them back where they belong in prison."

"The Coalition are supporting the SDF and their efforts to contain the breakout and recapture any remaining elements that escaped from the prison," he said.

According to the coalition, the SDF holds approximately 10,000 ISIS detainees, including approximately 8,000 Iraqis and Syrians and about 2,000 from other countries.