Syrian authorities announced early Tuesday the recapture of 81 ISIS militants following a mass escape from a prison in Al-Shaddadi, south of Al-Hasakah. The prison was previously under the control of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). The announcement comes amid reports of clashes between the Syrian Army and SDF-affiliated groups near Al-Aqtan prison in Raqqa, northern Syria.
According to a statement released by the Syrian Interior Ministry, units from the Syrian Army and special forces were deployed to Al-Shaddadi after approximately 120 ISIS fighters escaped. These units conducted extensive search operations within the city and its surrounding areas to apprehend the fleeing militants.
The ministry’s statement confirmed the recapture of 81 individuals and emphasized that efforts are ongoing to locate and apprehend the remaining escapees. The Syrian Army Operations Command has accused the SDF of deliberately releasing the ISIS fighters from the prison. The Army asserts it immediately launched operations to secure the area and detain the fleeing militants.
The Syrian government has expressed its strong condemnation of what it describes as attempts at security blackmail related to terrorism. It dismissed warnings from the SDF regarding ISIS prisons – specifically claims that the prison was overwhelmed due to army attacks – as a politically motivated exploitation of the terrorism issue. The government stated that linking law enforcement actions and the restoration of state legitimacy to the threat of reactivating terrorist cells is a transparent attempt to distort the truth and maintain power obtained through force.
The government pledged to secure all detention centers and ensure that no ISIS detainees escape. It also issued a warning to the SDF leadership against any reckless actions, such as facilitating the escape of ISIS detainees, holding them responsible for any security breaches in these prisons.
The SDF, on the other hand, claims that the prison came under attack from the Syrian Army and subsequently fell out of their control. The SDF also indicated it coordinated with the International Coalition to relocate ISIS detainees held in Al-Aqtan prison in Raqqa to safer locations. However, the SDF claims the Coalition has not yet taken any concrete steps in this regard.
