22 ISIS fighters killed in fighting near Hasakah prison: SDF

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – In violent clashes for the third day, at least 22 ISIS fighters were killed near a prison facility in the Kurdish-controlled city of Hasakah, the media center of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) said on Saturday.

The statement was a sign fighting is still going on in the city of Hasakah in the Ghwayran neighborhood.

The SDF said in the latest bout of fighting, "22 terrorist attackers" were killed, adding they had also "captured one terrorist, and confiscated a vehicle loaded with weapons and ammunition" as well as several explosive belts.

Farhad Shami, the head of the SDF Media Centre, also today said in a tweet that the SDF and Asayish "are tightening the siege on Daesh (ISIS) terrorist attackers in the perimeter of al-Sina'a prison."

He added that the SDF managed to "retake several points on the northern side, eliminating several attackers. Our forces underscore the importance of re-arresting the Daesh (ISIS) mutineers alive."

On Thursday, ISIS organized its largest attack in recent years to break out of jail terrorist suspects, using suicide bombers and a sustained insurgency campaign, as well as rioting inside the prison, SDF Commander-in-Chief Mazloum Abdi said in a tweet.

"We reiterate that our fight against ISIS continues and we will not stop until all criminal elements are put behind bars," he tweeted.

There have been several attempted prison breaks in the last two years from inside ISIS detention facilities in Hasakah. But so far, no prisoners have escaped.

SDF holds over 14,000 captured suspected Islamic State fighters, including 2,000 foreign nationals. So far, most European countries have refused to take back their foreign nationals.

The prison in Hasakah houses some 3,500 suspected ISIS members.