ISIS organizes attack on SDF-held prison in northeast Syria: SDF

Coalition planes reportedly flew over the prison to support local security forces to contain the situation.

Wladimir van Wilgenburg 2022/01/20 22:56

Special counter-terrorism forces linked to the Asayish. (SDF's Coordination and Military Operations Center)

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – ISIS attacked a detention facility holding suspected terrorists in the Syrian city of Hasakah with an explosive-laden car, local media reported late Thursday.

Following the bombing, the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) denied reports that any ISIS members had escaped Hasakah's al-Sina'a prison facility. The SDF said in a statement its fighters are working to recapture the fleeing individuals.

The SDF, backed by the US-led coalition, also confirmed the bombing incident, followed by clashes between the Internal Security Forces and suspected ISIS cells attempting to ambush the Kurdish-led fighters in the area.

The bombing wounded multiple Kurdish fighters as unknown gunmen directed fire at an SDF vehicle heading towards the prison.

The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) also confirmed reports of an explosion by the prison. It cited additional reports claiming ISIS suspects had broken out of the al-Sina'a facility and noted a riot had taken place inside.

Coalition planes reportedly flew over the prison to support local security forces to contain the situation. Local reports say that SDF-affiliated fighters have cordoned off the region and are on high alert.

There have been several attempted prison breaks in the last two years from inside ISIS detention facilities in Hasakah. But so far, no prisoners have escaped.

In November, the SDF prevented a plan to attack Gweiran prison in al-Hasakah province by arresting several suspects involved, including cell leader Mohamed Abid al-Awad.

SDF holds over 14,000 captured suspected Islamic State fighters, including 2,000 foreign nationals. So far, most European countries have refused to take back their foreign nationals.

Thursday's attack on the Hasakah prison "is likely to make waves across Western capitals, though it seems there has not been a major prison break, as was initially reported," said Rojava Information Centre researcher Sasha Hoffman.

During the assault, "at least two explosions and heavy gunfire were heard" in Hasakah as a prison riot continued, Hoffman continued.

The scenes were "reminiscent of the thwarted attack in November, when Asayish arrested an ISIS cell of 5 and confiscated a car bomb and dozens of weapons meant to be employed to free the roughly 5,000 ISIS prisoners inside Sina'a Prison," the RIC researcher added.

That plot's "alleged mastermind was then arrested in December. The AANES has been defending against another such attack ever since, repatriating at least 150 Iraqi ISIS detainees in two batches, and transferring others to al-Sheddadi."

"At this time, it does not seem that either the prison walls were breached, nor that ISIS prisoners escaped tonight, but it is nevertheless the most serious attack by ISIS in recent memory," Hoffman concluded.