PM:05:32:22/01/2022
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SULAIMANI — Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF)
and Internal Security Forces (ISF) continued to battle Islamic State (ISIS)
militants on Saturday (January 22) in the vicinity of a prison in Hasaka where
sleeper cells staged an attempted prison break.
"Our SDF & ISF are tightening the
siege on Daesh [ISIS] terrorist attackers in the perimeter of al-Sinaa prison &
managed to retake several points on the northern side eliminating several
attackers,” Farhad Shami, the head of the SDF media center said on Saturday.
The media center announced the SDF and
ISF regained a number of positions on the northern side of the prison, which is
located in Hasaka’s neighborhood of Ghweiran, from ISIS militants who came from
the neighborhood of al-Zuhour, west of the prison.
A source from the SDF told North Press
Agency the surroundings of the prison were still experiencing intermittent
clashes since early on Saturday.
Pentagon press secretary John Kirby confirmed
on Friday the US was assisting the SDF with air strikes. Rojava Information
Center said air strikes were targeting a faculty of engineering center where a
group of ISIS militants had barricaded themselves.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights
said on Friday 39 ISIS members, 23 members of Kurdish forces (including
Asayish, prison guards and counter-terrorism forces) and five civilians have
died in the clashes.
Some civilians were killed when ISIS
members demanded they give them shelter. The SDF and ISF are trying to secure
safe paths for residents to escape the clashes, North Press stated.
The SDF media center said on Friday its
forces managed to capture 89 inmates who had escaped from the prison.
The prison break attempt began on
Thursday when car bomb and motorbike explosions struck near the entrance of
al-Sinaa prison while oil tankers exploded near a fuel depot.
Clashes then broke out between security
forces and ISIS sleeper cells who came from adjacent areas.
(NRT Digital Media)