Fighting resumes at Islamic State prison in Syria

Syria’s Kurdish-led militia alliance prematurely declared the region’s largest prison holding Islamic State detainees secure on Wednesday following a major prison break and ensuing battle over the past week. 

Fighting continued Thursday as the Syrian Democratic Forces said its members discovered additional IS adherents who had not surrendered in one wing of the prison complex. 

“After regaining control of the al-Sinaa prison and imposing surrender on about 3,500 detainees involved in the insurrection, our focus began sweeping operations … in the prison dormitories where the terrorists were barricaded,” the SDF said in a statement. “During these operations, our forces uncovered hidden terrorist holdouts in the prison’s northern dormitories."

It went on, “Our forces have called for the safe surrender of these terrorists, and if they do not respond, we will deal with them firmly.”