Kurdish forces say 300 ISIS members surrendered after Syrian prison raid


  • English
  • Arabic

Kurdish-led forces said they had forced at least 300 militants to surrender after a deadly ISIS raid on the Ghwayran prison in Syria’s north-eastern city of Hassakeh.

Syrian Democratic Forces spokesman Farhad Shami said the operation was going “as planned”.

On Monday, the SDF again called for ISIS members holed up in the detention complex to surrender.

“We know that you have an internet connection and see your setbacks. We know that your leaders use you as firewood to get warm,” the SDF media centre wrote in a post aimed at the ISIS militants.

“We inform you that your leaders are negotiating with us to secure a way out, leaving you to death.”

The city was locked down on Monday to trap the ISIS fighters, as the death toll from the fighting grew to more than 150.

The SDF said ISIS was using hundreds of children as human shields.

The UN says more than 45,000 residents in Hassakeh have fled the fighting as it enters a fifth day.

US soldiers gather in an area near the Ghwayran prison in Hassakeh on Monday. AFP
US soldiers gather in an area near the Ghwayran prison in Hassakeh on Monday. AFP

Unicef, the UN children's agency, called for the protection of about 850 minors detained inside the jail, some as young as 12. The agency said they could be “harmed or forcibly recruited” by ISIS.

ISIS claims to have killed and injured several SDF members.

The prison is the largest used by the SDF to holds suspected militants and other detainees in what aid groups say are overcrowded and inhumane conditions.

Human Rights Watch says the SDF holds a total of about 12,000 men and boys suspected of ISIS affiliation, including 2,000 to 4,000 foreigners from almost 50 countries.

Elders say support for ISIS has grown with rising local resentment against the Kurdish-led administration they accuse of discriminating against the majority Arab population it rules, many of whom reject its policy of forcible conscription.

The Syrian Kurdish forces deny the accusations and say their rule redresses injustices as an oppressed minority during decades of Arab nationalist rule from Damascus.

The years Ramadan fell in May

1987

1954

1921

1888

The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE. 

Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on

Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins

Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative 

EA Sports FC 26

Publisher: EA Sports

Consoles: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S

Rating: 3/5

The%20Secret%20Kingdom%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Matt%20Drummond%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAlyla%20Browne%2C%20Alice%20Parkinson%2C%20Sam%20Everingham%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203%2F5%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Empires%20of%20the%20Steppes%3A%20A%20History%20of%20the%20Nomadic%20Tribes%20Who%20Shaped%20Civilization
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EAuthor%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EKenneth%20W%20Harl%3Cstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EPublisher%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EHanover%20Square%20Press%3Cstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EPages%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E576%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Top 10 in the F1 drivers' standings

1. Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari 202 points

2. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes-GP 188

3. Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes-GP 169

4. Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull Racing 117

5. Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari 116

6. Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing 67

7. Sergio Perez, Force India 56

8. Esteban Ocon, Force India 45

9. Carlos Sainz Jr, Toro Rosso 35

10. Nico Hulkenberg, Renault 26

BIRD%20BOX%20BARCELONA
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirectors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20David%20and%20Alex%20Pastor%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EGeorgina%20Campbell%2C%20Mario%20Casas%2C%20Diego%20Calva%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Updated: January 25, 2022, 2:07 PM