Human Rights Top News

ISIS fighters break out of prison…Attack security as Turkey steps up Syria airstrikes

3 Min Read

The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) who run the prison in the city of Qamishli said at least five militants had escaped.

There have also been disturbances at the sprawling al-Hawl detention camp which was once home to British ISIS bride Shamima Begum.

 Women set fire to tents and attacked security offices with sticks and stones during the unrest in the foreigners’ section of the camp.

SDF spokesman Marvan Qamishlo said: “The ISIS women rose against the internal security forces at al-Hawl.

“They set ablaze tents and attacked the administrative and security offices there with stones and sticks.”

ISIS fighters
ISIS fighters guarded by Kurdish forces in northern Syria (Image: GETTY)

Video footage of the disturbance shows around 20 fully covered women running in open space with several men chasing after then.

US security officials have warned thousands of ISIS detainees could try to break out as Kurdish-led security patrolling the camps are redeployed to confront the Turkish offensive.

And fears are growing of a fresh wave of ISIS attacks should the bloodthirsty terrorists regroup and regain a foothold in the war-ravaged region.

Qamishli

Turkish bombs drop near an ISIS detention camp in the city of Qamishli (Image: REUTERS)

ISIS fighters
Thousands of ISIS fighters are being held in desert camps across northern Syria (Image: GETTY)

One senior US security source said the Turkish military offensive had already had a “detrimental effect” on counter-ISIS operations which had “effectively stopped”.

He said: “The Turkish offensive has challenged our ability to build local security forces, conduct stabilisation operations and the Syrian Democratic Force’s ability to guard over 11,000 dangerous ISIS fighters.”

US officials were already growing increasingly concerned about the vulnerability of the Syrian camps in which between 11,000 and 12,000 ISIS fighters have been held since their capture on the battlefield.

ISIS brides

ISIS brides have attempted to escape from the notorious al-Hawl camp (Image: GETTY)

ISIS brides
ISIS brides under guard in al-Hawl (Image: GETTY)

Around 2,000 of the detainees are foreigners ISIS fighters not from Iraq or Syria but only several hundred are believed to be from Europe.

The officials fear the security of the camps is in question and a “huge concern” as SDF personnel head to the front lines.

One said: ”SDF will focus on the fight. The fear is that they abandon post. It’s a really bad situation.”

Hundreds of ISIS prisoners continue to be held in “pop-up prisons” close to the Turkish border.

Some SDF fighters had already left their posts at various prisons before the Turkish offensive began and had headed north.

SDF commanders suspended their counter-ISIS operations to focus on the Turkish offensive as soon as the the operation got underway.

ISIS fighter

Turkey’s military offensive in Syria has sparked fears of an ISIS revival (Image: GETTY)

An SDF spokesman said one of the makeshift camps holding ISIS detainees had been bombed during a Turkish airstrike.

In a Twitter post from the verified SDF account, the group said: “One of the prisons that ISIS detainees held in was struck by Turkish airstrike.

“Turkey is aiming to undermine all successful efforts and achievements that we gained during our fighting against ISIS.”

Mr Trump’s decision to pull US troops from the area and give Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan the green light for his assault agains the Kurds has provoked a growing backlash both in the US and abroad.

Source: express.co.uk

Lloyd M’bwana

I’m a Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resource (LUANAR)’s Environmental Science graduate (Malawi) and UK’s ICM Journalism and Media studies scholar. Also University of Malawi (UNIMA) Library Science Scholar. I have been The Malawi Country Manager and duty editor for the Maravi Post since 2019. My duty editor’s job is to ensure that the news is covered properly, that it is delivered on time, and that it is created to the standards set out in the editorial guidelines of the Maravi Post.


Discover more from The Maravi Post

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Discover more from The Maravi Post

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading