Syrian army moves to secure key IS prison after SDF says facility out of control

The Syrian army said Monday it has begun operations to secure Shaddadi prison in northeastern Hasakah province after the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) said it had lost control of the facility holding thousands of Islamic State (IS) suspects amid escalating clashes.



The Syrian army said its units will secure the prison and its surrounding areas and carry out sweep operations in the town of Shaddadi and nearby locations to track down detainees it said were "released" during the unrest.



It said the prison and related security facilities will be handed over to the interior authorities once stabilization and clearance operations are completed.



The army said it has contacted mediators and SDF leaders to arrange the handover, but the SDF leadership has so far refused. It also accused the SDF of releasing IS detainees.



Earlier in the day, the SDF said Shaddadi prison had come under repeated attacks by Damascus-affiliated factions, calling the situation extremely dangerous and warning of the risk of a major security collapse.



The SDF said its fighters repelled several assaults but suffered heavy casualties before losing control of the facility.