Daijiworld Media Network - Damascus

Damascus, Jan 20: The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) on Monday said an “armed group” was attacking Shaddadi prison in Syria’s northeastern Hasaka province, where thousands of Islamic State (ISIS) terrorists are reportedly being held.

In an earlier statement, the SDF said it was also engaged in clashes with Syrian government forces near Al-Aqtan prison on the outskirts of Raqqa, another facility housing IS detainees. Raqqa had served as the seat of the Islamic State’s self-declared “caliphate” before its collapse.

The SDF claimed that dozens of its fighters were “martyred” in the clashes, with several others injured, and blamed the Syrian government in Damascus for the attacks. Describing the situation as a “highly dangerous development”, the SDF warned that any seizure of prisons holding IS detainees could have serious security consequences.

“Such actions threaten stability and could pave the way for a return to chaos and terrorism,” the SDF said in a statement.

The group also accused the US-led International Coalition of failing to intervene despite repeated calls for support, noting that Al-Shaddadi prison is located about two kilometres from a coalition base in the area.

The clashes come a day after the SDF and the Syrian government reached a sweeping integration deal, under which responsibility for prisons housing IS detainees was to be transferred to Damascus. Following days of fighting, the autonomy-minded SDF — formerly the main US ally in Syria — agreed on Sunday to withdraw from two Arab-majority provinces it had controlled for years, including key oil-producing areas.

Government tightens control

Syrian government troops on Monday tightened their grip across large parts of northern and eastern Syria that were abruptly abandoned by the SDF, marking a dramatic shift that consolidated President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s rule.

Security sources said internal security forces and military police had set up checkpoints across Raqqa, checking identification documents. Raqqa was cleared of SDF fighters overnight, the sources added.

Curfew in Shaddadi

Meanwhile, the Syrian army imposed a total curfew in the city of Shaddadi on Monday following reports that Islamic State terrorists had escaped from the local prison during clashes between government forces and the SDF, state news agency SANA reported.

The army said it had launched combing operations across the city to track down the escaped militants.

On Sunday, a security source told Iraqi outlet al-Maalomah that dozens of ISIS terrorists fled al-Ma’amel prison after the SDF withdrew from the area.

“These escapees pose a significant security threat to the region, particularly given their proximity to al-Hol camp, which houses thousands of families and members of the organisation,” the source was quoted as saying.

Another source said a high security alert had been issued in Iraq’s Anbar province amid fears of possible infiltration by militants across the Syria-Iraq border.