Standoff near Syrian prison holding IS militants continues

24/1/2022 6:51

        Clashes between U.S.-backed Syrian Kurdish fighters and militants continued for a fourth day Sunday near a prison in northeastern Syria that houses thousands of members of the Islamic State group.
        
        The standoff follows a bold assault by the extremists that breached the premises of Gweiran Prison, allowed an unknown number of militants to escape and killed dozens of U.S.-backed fighters who guard the facility.
        
        The Kurdish-led forces, with assistance from the U.S-led coalition in the form of surveillance, intelligence and airstrikes, have contained the threat.
        
        Several dozen militants remain holed up in one wing of the prison, to the north and in adjacent buildings, from where they have been firing at the Kurdish forces.
        
        A spokesman for the Kurdish forces said the militants have used hundreds of minors held in the same facility as human shields, preventing a final assault.
        
        More than 3,000 suspected IS militants are believed to be held in Gweiran, the largest facility in Syria housing IS militants, including over 600 under the age of 18.