ISIS has suffered a “severe blow” with the arrest of one of its most dangerous leaders, responsible for plotting prison assaults in northern Syria. However, experts have warned of the continued threat posed by the organization, as its dangerous members remain concentrated in a single prison.
The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), in coordination with the international coalition against ISIS, announced the arrest of terrorist Muhammad Abdul-Awad, known as Rashid, who was tasked by the organization with planning and executing an attack on the al-Ghuwayran prison in al-Hasakah, northeastern Syria, according to a statement from the SDF's media office.
The statement released on Saturday described the apprehension of Abdul-Awad as one of the most complex security operations, with the SDF, supported by the international coalition, successfully securing weapons and ammunition for the attack, while two explosive-laden vehicles were detonated by the forces involved in the arrest operation.
According to Rashid's confessions, the prison assault plan included extensive terrorist operations, such as bombings at the main gate of al-Ghuwayran prison, suicide bombers storming the facility, as well as smuggling in explosives and approximately 165 Kalashnikov rifles, ammunition, and grenades to distribute to inmates, aiming to break down prison gates, seize control of the prison and surrounding area, and create chaos.
The security campaign against the militants responsible for the al-Ghuwayran prison storming began in November, where the SDF thwarted the plan for the al-Hasakah prison raid and arrested 14 suicide bombers who were under the command of Abdul-Awad, who had escaped at that time.
#### Who is Rashid?
Before joining ISIS, terrorist Muhammad Abdul-Awad had joined the Al-Nusra Front (formerly part of Al-Qaeda) in early 2013. He led militants and a tank brigade that attacked Kobani in 2014, and over seven years, participated in attacks and massacres that resulted in hundreds of casualties.
Following ISIS's defeat in 2019, he resorted to impersonating other identities and using aliases to hide and plan operations to reconstitute the organization, including the al-Hasakah prison assault.
Regarding his dangerous role with ISIS, Siamand Ali, the media official of the People’s Protection Units (the main component of the SDF), told Sky News Arabia that "al-Ghuwayran prison houses thousands of ISIS terrorists, and the individual known as Rashid planned to create a breach and deliver weapons to inmates, which could lead to a major catastrophe with the release of some of the most deadly terrorists and a massacre against the city’s residents."
The spokesperson also expects that Rashid's arrest will significantly impact ISIS, as he is one of its top leaders and manages sleeper cells in northern Syria; however, he cautioned that the threat remains due to the continued existence of these cells.
#### Organization's Shackling
Strategic expert Brigadier General Samir Raghb agrees that the danger persists, stating that "the greatest threat in the areas under SDF control is related to the prisons and camps housing the most dangerous ISIS elements, such as al-Jarkin prison in Qamishli and al-Hol camp in al-Hasakah."
Raghb explained to Sky News Arabia that ISIS resorts to storming prisons following the geographical collapse of its so-called state because these prisons contain groups trained for combat, which contributed to establishing the organization's stronghold in Raqqa in 2014.
Accordingly, he believes that the arrest of the person responsible for the al-Ghuwayran prison attack, whom he described as a "mission kill," should provoke thought about how to eliminate the threat posed by these prisoners and facilitate their return to their home countries.
Over the past two months, prisons under SDF control have witnessed clashes between inmates and prison guards.
Last November, ISIS escalated its activities by carrying out 25 attacks in central Syria and northeastern areas, targeting both the industrial prison and al-Hol camp, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
