The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights

Interrupting cautious clam | Sporadic clashes renew between ISIS gunmen and military forces inside Ghuwayran prison and nearly 15 captive workers freed

Al-Hasakah province: SOHR sources have monitored renewal of sporadic clashes inside Ghuwayran prison in Al-Hasakah city between ISIS armed members on one side, and Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the Internal Security Forces (Asayish) on the other, after hours of cautious calm, amid continuous rejection of the organisation’s prisoners to surrender.

On the other hand, SOHR sources have reported that the military forces who were combing quarters and sections in the prison managed to free new batch of Ghuwayran workers who have been detained by ISIS members staging unarmed disobedience, after negotiations between the two sides.

Accordingly, the number of the prison workers who were released since yesterday has risen to 15 in return for healing ISIS wounded members, amid undergoing negotiations with prisoners in one of the sections that houses a large number of ISIS prisoners who staged unarmed disobedience, expressing their rejections of being transferred to other areas.

Meanwhile, SOHR sources reported that nearly 27 of the prison’s guards and workers, who appeared in a video clip circulated by ISIS, have been still held by the organisation, while no negotiations over their release have been reported so far.

Earlier today, reliable sources told SOHR that the number of prisoners who handed themselves in to the military forces since the beginning of the operation rose to 600, as tens of prisoners surrendered in the past hours.

On the other hand, inspection and combing operations continued in neighbourhoods in the vicinity of the prison, searching for ISIS cells. These operations came after the displacement of thousands of residents from these neighbourhoods since the evening of January 20. Most of these civilians stayed with their relatives in other areas in Al-Hasakah province, while a few headed to refugee camps.

Moreover, ISIS circulated a video footage showing bodies of ISIS members after being killed inside the prison in US airstrikes which SOHR had reported about yesterday. Also, an injured child of the “Caliphate Cubs” was appeared in the video footage circulated by ISIS.

SOHR sources had reported that seven ISIS members were killed in gunfire by Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the Internal Security Forces (Asayish) during combing operations by the joint forces in the surroundings of Ghuwayran prison in Al-Hasakah city.

Meanwhile, cautious clam prevailed inside the prison, along with flights by International Coalition helicopters over the region. In addition, the joint forces continued to search some sections in the prison which include ISIS members who stages unarmed disobedience.

Accordingly, the total death toll since the start of Ghuwayran prison break on January 20 evening reached 166: 114 ISIS fighters, seven civilians and 45 members of Asayish Forces, prison guards and counter-terrorism forces.

Observatory asserts that the death toll is even higher, and the real number of fatalists is not exactly identified, as the fate of dozens members on both sides is still unknown. In addition, there are many people who have sustained serious injuries.