Six months after having been closed | SDF reopen bridge near central prison in Al-Raqqah after fortifying surrounding posts

Al-Raqqah province: SOHR sources have reported that International Coalition Forces and SDF reopened the bridge near the central prison in Al-Raqqah city, which hosts ISIS prisoners.

 

The bridge was reopened in the past few days after fortifying posts around the prison by SDF and International Coalition Forces.

 

The bridge was closed for more than six months, after members of ISIS carried out an attack on the headquarters of Internal Security Forces in the western side of the region in late January, in an attempt to free ISIS detainees in the intelligence service’s prison in the security zone in Al-Raqqah. The closure of the bridge coincided with high security alert and strict security procedures in the region.

 

On December 26, SOHR activists in Al-Raqqah city  reported the closure of all roads leading to the city, along with high alert by security forces.

 

 Emergency was announced and curfew was imposed in the city and surrounding villages, as well as the closure of markets, blocking roads to the city’s neighbourhoods and suspending work in all institutions until further notice.

 

This follows the large-scale surprise attack by ISIS, which is the most violent since the attack on Ghuwayran prison, on the security zone in Al-Raqqah where headquarters of the Internal Security Forces (Asayish), the bureau of the regional-military relations and a prison of the intelligence service hosting nearly 900 ISIS members are located. During the attack, an ISIS member threw a grenade in the security zone, while another members opened fire with a machinegun.

 

Meanwhile, SDF security forces thwarted an attack by ISIS cells after violent clashes broke out between ISIS cells and members of the Internal Security Forces of the SDF near the security square in the Intifadah neighbourhood, which houses headquarters of the Internal Security Forces, counter-terrorism units and a military intelligence prison, that houses nearly 900 ISIS prisoners.

 

This development came after a surprise attack carried out by ISIS cells near the military prison, to free ISIS prisoners.