SULAIMANI (ESTA) — The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) said on Sunday it had regained control of a prison Islamic State (ISIS) militants attacked last week to free prisoners.
The militants attacked Sina-Ghweran prison in northeastern Syrian city of Hasakah on Thursday, attempting to free prisoners that include the group’s leaders.
In a statement, the SDF General Command said more than 200 suicide “terrorists” who came from Ras al-Ain and Tel Abyad as well as Ramadi in Iraq involved in the attack.
The militants used Ghweran neighborhood as a “hideout and a starting point” to launch the attack against the prison, it added.
“After six-month-long preparations, they attacked the prison … with car bombs,” the SDF said.
The U.S.-backed group further said its forces continued to launch operations inside the Ghweran neighborhood as they believe there were still two or three “terrorist cells” that are still stationed there.
The SDF forces killed more than 175 “terrorists” in the clashes, it added, stating that 27 members of its forces were “heroically martyred”.
“Now the situation is under our forces’ control, who have begun a large-scale sweep operation, with the participation of about 10,000 fighters of SDF and Internal Security Forces,” the group said.
The group stated that the leaders and masterminds of the attackers were present in areas “occupied by Turkey”, including Ras al-Ain.
“It is no coincidence that while our forces are preoccupied in addressing the terrorist attack on the prison, the Turkish occupation and its mercenaries launched an attack on the positions of our forces in Ain Issa and its surroundings causing the martyrdom of three of our fighters who showed heroic resistance and thwarted their attacks,” it said.
“The Turkish occupation also launched other attacks on the areas of Tal Tamir and Abu Racine. There is a close connection between these attacks and those of the terrorists,” it added.
Ghweran Prison is the largest of around a dozen facilities run by U.S.-backed Syrian Kurdish forces holding suspected ISIS fighters. It holds more than 3,000 inmates, including ISIS leaders and figures considered among the most dangerous.
The United States condemned ISIS attack on Saturday, commending the SDF for their “swift response” to the attempt to free prisoners.
“It is a credit to the diligent, capable efforts of the SDF and Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS forces that they were able to thwart numerous attacks during that period and limit the severity of this one,” it added.
“The losses sustained by our partners in these attacks are a stark reminder of the very real challenges the region continues to face.”
