Syria’s Ministry of Interior said an escape incident at al-Shaddadi Prison in the countryside of al-Hasakah Governorate (northeastern Syria) resulted in the escape of about 120 Islamic State (IS) members, adding that it had arrested 81 of them.
Special Tasks units affiliated with the ministry began, immediately after entering al-Shaddadi (southern al-Hasakah countryside in northeastern Syria), carrying out “precise and organized” search and sweep operations in the town and its surroundings to pursue the escapees and maintain security and stability, according to a ministry statement issued at dawn today, Tuesday, 20 January.
Meanwhile, US officials and regional sources told the US outlet Fox News that IS gunmen escaped the prison amid what they described as a “chaotic” transfer of control between the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the Syrian government.
The sources said the number of detainees at al-Shaddadi Prison had previously been under 1,000, but that there were only about 200 detainees when the chaotic handover took place on Monday.
As SDF guards withdrew from the prison and Syrian forces moved to take control, local residents smuggled nearly 200 IS detainees out of the facility, the sources said.
A well informed source said most of those who escaped were local, lower rank fighters, not “seasoned” foreign militants.
The Interior Ministry said intensive security efforts were ongoing to track down the remaining escapees and take legal measures.
Taking over prisons holding IS detainees
The Syrian Interior Ministry announced it was fully ready to take over the management and security of prisons holding IS detainees in al-Hasakah Governorate, “in line with internationally recognized standards,” in a way that prevents any security breach or escape attempt.
In a statement on Monday, 19 January, the ministry said it had prepared a joint special force from the Special Tasks Directorate and the Prisons Directorate, tasked with taking over the prisons, securing their perimeter, and managing internal operations, while applying the highest standards of guarding and detention and preventing infiltration or smuggling attempts.
It also said it was prepared to coordinate directly with the American side as part of joint efforts to prevent the return of terrorism and ensure the region’s security and stability.
The ministry held the SDF fully responsible for any escape or release of IS members from prisons under its control, particularly what happened at al-Shaddadi Prison, calling it “a serious security breach that threatens Syrian, regional, and international security.”
It reiterated its categorical rejection of what it described as SDF attempts to use the IS detainees file as political leverage against the Syrian state, or to link the restoration of state sovereignty and the enforcement of law to the so called “prison threat,” saying such attempts were “exposed” and served only to reproduce chaos and threaten civilians’ security.
The ministry added that citizens’ security, protecting civil peace, and preventing the return of terrorism are a top national priority in light of recent field developments in al-Hasakah Governorate, and what it described as attempts at media misinformation and political exploitation of the IS detainees file by the SDF.
It said the restoration of legitimate state institutions and the enforcement of the rule of law are “the only permanent guarantee” for security and stability, and that the Syrian state is an effective partner in international counterterrorism efforts, without any pretext.
Mutual accusations
An Enab Baladi correspondent in al-Hasakah reported that SDF forces withdrew from al-Shaddadi to al-Hasakah city on Monday, adding that an International Coalition convoy escorted the withdrawing forces.
The Syrian army announced it had taken control of al-Shaddadi and imposed a curfew in the area while searching for IS members.
The Operations Command accused the SDF of releasing a number of IS members from al-Shaddadi Prison, saying the army intervened to secure the town and the prison, and began sweep operations to search for those who were released.
The SDF said al-Shaddadi Prison in al-Hasakah, which holds IS detainees, fell out of its control after being subjected to repeated attacks by the Syrian government.
In a statement on Monday, the SDF accused the International Coalition base in the area, about two kilometers from the prison, of not intervening despite repeated calls.
According to Enab Baladi’s correspondent in al-Hasakah, a small number of detainees left the prison, and the army is sweeping the area in search of them.
The SDF has repeatedly warned about prisons holding thousands of IS members, as the ongoing military operation against it continues in eastern Syria.
Syria’s Interior Ministry arrests 81 members who escaped from al-Shaddadi Prison Enab Baladi.
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