Hoshang Derwish, the representative of the Syrian Democratic Assembly in the Iraqi Kurdistan region, referred to the insurgency of ISIS prisoners in Hasna al-Sanaa prison and the attack by ISIS militants on the prison on Friday and stated that the prison is now under the control of the kurdish-led SDF forces.
"They wanted to release the prisoners in the prison. In the attack on the prison, some prisoners escaped, but with the arrival of the security forces, the prisoners who had tried to escape were arrested and returned to the prison," Mr. Derwish told Kurdpress in an interview.
He added: "The gunmen who attacked the prison fled to the neighborhood of Hey Al-Zohour and hid in the neighborhood and used the residents as hostages. The Syrian Democratic Forces drove the citizens out of the neighborhood and they are fighting in a battle and are killing the militants.
The representative added: "A large number of militants have been killed so far. About 28 ISIS members have been killed so far."
SDF and Internal Security Forces (ISF) continued to battle Islamic State (ISIS) militants on Saturday, January 22, in the vicinity of the prison in Hasaka, another Syrian Kurdish official said.
"Our SDF & ISF are tightening the siege on Daesh [ISIS] terrorist attackers in the perimeter of al-Sinaa prison & managed to retake several points on the northern side eliminating several attackers,” Farhad Shami, the head of the SDF media center said on Saturday.
The media center announced the SDF and ISF regained a number of positions on the northern side of the prison, which is located in Hasaka’s neighborhood of Ghweiran, from ISIS militants who came from the neighborhood of al-Zuhour, west of the prison.
A source from the SDF told North Press Agency the surroundings of the prison were still experiencing intermittent clashes since early on Saturday.
Pentagon press secretary John Kirby confirmed on Friday the US was assisting the SDF with air strikes. Rojava Information Center said air strikes were targeting a faculty of engineering center where a group of ISIS militants had barricaded themselves.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on Friday 39 ISIS members, 23 members of Kurdish forces (including Asayish, prison guards and counter-terrorism forces) and five civilians have died in the clashes.
Some civilians were killed when ISIS members demanded they give them shelter. The SDF and ISF are trying to secure safe paths for residents to escape the clashes, North Press stated.
The SDF media center said on Friday its forces managed to capture 89 inmates who had escaped from the prison.
The prison break attempt began on Thursday when car bomb and motorbike explosions struck near the entrance of al-Sinaa prison while oil tankers exploded near a fuel depot.
Clashes then broke out between security forces and ISIS sleeper cells who came from adjacent areas.
Reporter's code: 50101