Sources from Al-Arabiya/Al-Hadath reported that the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have begun an assault on Ghuwayran Prison in Hasakah with air support from the international coalition. Al-Arabiya/Al-Hadath's correspondent added that SDF artillery is heavily targeting buildings near the prison, and coalition warplanes have also struck the vicinity of the prison with several missiles. This comes amid continuing repercussions from the attack launched by ISIS on Ghuwayran Prison in Hasakah, with the SDF announcing the deaths of 22 elements of the terrorist organization during clashes on Saturday.
The correspondent indicated that 4 SDF members were also killed during today’s confrontations, bringing the total to 17 dead and 23 wounded according to official SDF figures. The overall death toll from the events has risen to 89, including 56 from ISIS, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Additionally, the correspondent noted that American armored vehicles arrived in the conflict area west of the prison to support SDF forces. The Observatory reported that an American Apache helicopter targeted a makeshift cemetery where ISIS members were hiding near the Al-Sina'a prison in Hasakah.
Intense and Intermittent Clashes
The intensity of the clashes varies between severe and intermittent, as ISIS members still remain in the vicinity of the prison and hide in several areas to its northeast. Prisoners of the organization still control the prison buildings, and military forces are striving to gain complete control of the situation in the coming hours. According to sources, military forces are postponing full military resolution, relying on the depletion of the organization’s munitions as they are besieged.
Car Bombs
The attack began in the early hours of Thursday evening when ISIS sleeper cells approached the area and detonated car bombs near the prison’s main entrance after infiltrating the prison's surroundings from the Al-Zuhour neighborhood south of Hasakah, leading to intense clashes between the security forces responsible for protection and ISIS members outside. ISIS elements targeted fuel tanks and fuel trucks to create smoke to obscure coalition aircraft and hinder tracking them.
It is worth noting that Ghuwayran Prison holds approximately 3,500 inmates, including ISIS members and leaders, most of whom are from Syria and Iraq, as well as other nationalities. It is the largest prison for ISIS members in the world. The attack that occurred in the early hours of Friday was the most severe, largest, and most organized since the defeat of ISIS as a controlling power in populated areas in March 2019.
