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Security concerns continue to grow in Kurdish-held prisons in northern Syria, home to thousands of Islamic State (ISIS) fighters, in the wake of the Turkish offensive.
During a visit to Hasaka central prison, which has reduced its security staff by “at least 50 percent” since the Turkish invasion began, Rudaw spoke to several prisoners from Iraq and the United Kingdom, some of whom said they were “minutes away” from escaping thanks to Turkish bombardments.
While televisions have been removed from cells for fear of prompting a riot, inmates welcomed the Turkish incursion, calling for the bombardment “to continue so we could pass”.
“It would take us ten minutes to get to Turkey,” one told Rudaw on October 19.
The remaining security forces are fearful of an inmate breakout following a car bomb which hit the prison on October 12, attributed to a security breach.
Five ISIS fighters escaped a Qamishli prison following Turkish shelling on October 11, while the group claimed responsibility for a bombing in the same city which killed four and injured nine.
In a deal struck between Turkey and Russia on Tuesday night, SDF forces have 150 hours to withdraw from Turkey’s 30-km safe zone between the cities of Sari Kani (Ras al-Ain) and Gire Spi (Tel Abyad).
Instrumental in the fight against ISIS, the defeat of the SDF has caused chaos in the area and created a security vacuum for ISIS cells to regroup.
Reporting by Roj Eli Zalla
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