ISIS tries to revive through jailbreak attempt in Syria’s Hasakah

SDF vehicles in Guweiran neighborhood in Syria’s Hasakah – North Press
SDF vehicles in Guweiran neighborhood in Syria’s Hasakah – North Press

QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – Clashes are still going on for the second consecutive day between the fighters of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the Internal Security Forces of North and East Syria (Asayish) with aerial support by the US-led Global Coalition on one hand, and militants of the sleeper cells of the Islamic State Organization (ISIS) on the other following a riot carried out by the latter in al-Sina’a prison in Hasakah city, northeast Syria.

The jailbreak carried out by ISIS in al-Sina’a prison in Guweiran neighborhood of Syria’s Hasakah coincided with ISIS attack in Diyala governorate of Iraq where 11 Iraqi soldiers were killed. 

Several international media outlets dealt and are still dealing with the issue and conveying what is happening on the ground.

France 24 reported Dareen Khalifa, senior Syrian analyst at International Crisis Group as saying “Jailbreaks and prison riots were a central component of ISIS resurgence in Iraq and are a serious threat in Syria.”  

In this regard, The Washington Post reported that “the region’s leaders routinely appeal for help from the international community, pointing out that many of the detainees are foreign, and that the local administration cannot bear the burden alone.”

“Although the British government helped expand the prison in Hasakah last year, Syrian and coalition officials have repeatedly warned that it remains poorly defended and vulnerable to attack,” The Washington Post said.

Analyst Nicholas Heras of the Newlines Institute in Washington said, “the jihadist group targeted the prison to bolster its numbers.”

“The Islamic State group wants to move beyond being the terrorist and criminal network that it has devolved into, and to do that it needs more fighters,” Heras told AFP.

“Prison breaks represents the best opportunity for ISIS to regain its strength in arms, and Guweiran prison is a nice fat target for ISIS because its overcrowded,” he added.

While Colin Clarke, research director at the New York-based Soufan Center think-tank warned that “The prospect of a repeat of the attack remains very real.”

For its part, the al-Monitor website commented that “Nearly three years after IS lost its final stronghold in the Syrian town of Baghouz, the group has been exploiting the country’s economic crisis to lure new recruits. IS is offering irresistible sums of money to poor Syrians willing to join their ranks.”