Amid attempts to regain control of Ghuwayran prison | US helicopter attacks ISIS hideouts in Al-Hasakah city
Al-Hasakah province: Reliable sources have told SOHR that a US helicopter, “Apache”, has attacked a cemetery where ISIS members are hiding nearby Al-Sina’a prison in Al-Hasakah city, amid reports of casualties.
This attack coincides with sporadic violent clashes in the surrounding areas of the prison between ISIS members on one hand, and counter-terrorism forces and Asayish forces on the other, as ISIS members still holed up in nearby areas, to the north-east of the prison.
Meanwhile, ISIS prisoners still control several buildings in of the prison, while SDF military forces are planning to regain control of the entire prison in the upcoming hours. According to military sources, a comprehensive military operation is expected to be launched in hours, after draining ISIS ammunitions in light of the tight siege imposed on ISIS members and prisoners.
Earlier this morning, SOHR sources reported ongoing military operations in Ghuwayran prison and its surrounding area in Al-Hasakah city, as clashes continued between ISIS members on one hand, and SDF military forces, counter-terrorism forces and Asayish forces on the other, in attempts by SDF and their military formations, backed by International Coalition air support, to regain control of the prison and control the security situation.
Meanwhile, International Coalition aircraft renewed their strikes on that region this morning, while some buildings of Ghuwayran prison were under the control of ISIS. On the other hand, the military forces managed to impose a tight siege on the prison, isolating it completely from its surroundings with the aim to impose full control on the prison. Moreover, SDF affiliated formations continued their combing operations in Ghuwayran and Al-Zuhour neighbourhoods and other areas around the prison, searching for ISIS members and escapees.
In the meantime, reliable sources informed SOHR that the number of arrested ISIS prisoners, who had escaped from Ghuwayran prison during the recent attack, reached 130. However, dozens of ISIS prisoners, whose specific number remains unknown, were free after being able to escape from the prison. SOHR sources confirmed that hundreds of ISIS prisoners managed to escape on Thursday evening and Friday dawn, before some were arrested while the fate of the others remained unknown.
In the same context, Observatory sources documented a new spike of the number of people who have been killed since the beginning of the deadliest attack by ISIS on the prison Ghuwayran on Thursday evening, as the death of 78 people: 45 ISIS members, five civilians and 28 members of Asayish Forces, counter-terrorism forces and guards of the prison, was confirmed.
However, SOHR sources confirmed that the real number of fatalities was much higher, as the fate of tens of people among all parties remained unknown. In addition, a large number of combatants, ISIS members and civilians sustained serious injuries. Furthermore, the fate of tens of the prison’s employees and guards also remained unknown, as it is not known yet if they were all killed or some of them were held hostages by ISIS members and prisoners.
It is worth noting that Ghuwayran prison hosts nearly 3,500 ISIS commanders and members, and it is the only prison in the world hosting such large number of ISIS prisoners.
It is also worth noting that this was the most violent and largest attack on populated areas since elimination of ISIS as a controlling power in March 2019.