ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) on Thursday said that between 60 to 90 Islamic State (ISIS) militants remain in the northern part of the Hasaka prison, despite them declaring victory in the week long standoff with the terror group on Wednesday.
“Our forces uncovered camouflaged terrorist enclaves in the prison’s northern dormitories where between 60 and 90- estimated terrorists barricaded themselves and maintain a distance for the clash,” a statement from the SDF read, adding that their forces have made a call for safe surrender, however in case of refusing to surrender they will be dealt with “firmly”.
The statement from the Kurdish force comes after they declared victory in the week-long standoff on Wednesday, and according to their statement, thousands of ISIS militants were arrested.
“Following regaining control of the al-Sina’a prison and imposing surrender on about 3,500 terrorist detainees involved in the last mutiny to support the terrorist attackers coming from outside, our forces began thorough sweep operations and security and military clearing operations,” the statement read.
The number of prisoners held in the facility is unconfirmed, but the building was believed to hold around 5,000 ISIS prisoners.
Fighting continued for the seven days in and around the surrounding area of the prison, officially named al-Sina’a prison, and known to locals as Ghweran prison, in Hasaka province, northeast Syria, following an attempted jail-break by ISIS on the building housing thousands of its affiliates. Footage circulated by the Syrian North Press Agency on Wednesday depicted an Apache helicopter and sound of fierce gunfire.
By Wednesday afternoon, SDF media head Farhad Shami declared militants previously detained within the prison defeated, with the force having “entire control of the al-Sina'a prison in al-Hasaka and the surrendering of all Daesh terrorists.”
According to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, fighting in and around the prison since last Thursday had killed 181 people, including 124 ISIS jihadists, 50 Kurdish fighters and seven civilians.
