Coalition continues to support SDF to contain prison breakout: senior coalition official

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Brig. Gen. Nick Ducich, director of the Military Advisory Group - North, told reporters on Monday that the US-led coalition continues to support the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) efforts to contain the ISIS breakout in the Hasakah 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.

"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."

Farhad Shami, the head of the SDF media center on Twitter, said that it is "the final dance of the venom snakes in al-Sina'a prison- Game Over Daesh (ISIS)."

The final dance of the venom snakes in al-Sina'a prison- Game Over Daesh

— Farhad Shami (@farhad_shami) January 24, 2022

So far, fighting has been going on for four days after 200 ISIS fighters attacked the prison in Hasakah on Jan. 20.

Read More: ISIS weaker following 'brazen' Syria prison attack: Coalition

Brig. Gen. Nick Ducich also said he doubts that ISIS could present a threat to Iraq.

"I think the distance and the capability of the Iraqi border guards and the Peshmerga and the Iraqi army. There is enough security enterprise to prevent any threat from crossing over into Iraq," he said.

On Saturday, Major General Yehia Rasool, the spokesperson for the Commander-in-Chief of the Iraqi Armed Forces, confirmed that the Iraqi-Syrian border is fully secure.
"There are directives issued by the Commander-in-Chief of the Iraqi Armed Forces that included doubling the security effort on the Iraqi-Syrian border, after the events in the Syrian prison of Hasaka," Rasool said in a statement to the Iraqi News Agency.

Read More: 'Iraqi-Syrian border is fully secured': Iraqi military spokesperson

"We have made very good progress so far (on joint brigades)," he added. "And we look forward to that from being finalized and those brigades to being trained and deployed along with the KCL (Kurdistan Coordination Lines, the frontline between Kurdish Peshmerga forces and the Iraqi army)."

Brig. Gen. Nick Ducich added that the coalition and especially the United States have continually shown their support for the Peshmerga. "I am confident that you'll see that continued support. We have a fantastic plan in collaboration with a MOPA (Ministry of Peshmerga Affairs), and I do not see any breaking support at all," he said.

"I will see forward progress and continuous improvement of capabilities of the Peshmergas."

The Netherlands, the US, the UK, and Germany form the unique Multi-National Advisory Group (MNAG) that enthusiastically supports the project to establish a modern, effective, affordable, and accountable Peshmerga force under the control of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG).

Read More: Ministry of Peshmerga underlines necessity of Peshmerga reform in meeting with foreign advisors

As part of those efforts, Kurdish leaders decided last year to put heavy support units of the KDP's Unit 80 and the PUK's Unit 70 under the command of the Ministry of Peshmerga.

"It's the desire of the coalition to see a robust and under one MOPA (Ministry of Peshmerga Affairs) the formations (PUK and KDP units)," Brig. Gen. Nick Ducich said.

"That would be that unitary unity of command and unity of effort. And I think that that is the goal and we are doing everything we can to support all the Peshmerga reform efforts."