Brett McGurk says ISIS remains a very serious threat in northeast Syria

QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – We are in Syria for ISIS as there was an attempted prison break, and our forces lent assistance to the Syrian Democratic Forces to retake the prison from ISIS militants, Brett McGurk, the US National Security Council’s co-ordinator for the Middle East and North Africa said on Thursday.

“We are in Syria, together with partners. There is a coalition of 83 countries focused on ISIS. That’s our legal basis,” McGurk added.

In an interview with Carnegie Connects McGurk pointed out that the basis for the Coalition and “having partners and we are there for ISIS.”

“Over the last week, there was an attempted Prison Break in Hasakah, and our forces lend assistance to the Syrian Democratic Forces to retake the prison from ISIS fighters,” the US diplomat noted. 

On January 20, ISIS sleeper cells carried a series of attacks on al-Sina’a prison in the city of Hasakah, northeast Syria, where thousands of ISIS members are detained, to break their ISIS inmates fellows out of the prison. 

The clashes between the SDF and ISIS caused a mass displacement of the residents of the neighborhoods surrounding the prison. 

“And just as a reminder, ISIS remains a very serious threat. That is why we’re there [Syria]. And that is the only resource that at the same time we will defend our forces from all threats,” McGurk stressed.