The latest statement from the Kurdish SDF on over a week of fighting against ISIS in Hasakeh put the overall death toll at nearly 500, including 77 prison staff and 374 prisoners.
The prison was holding ISIS detainees, so the labels of prison staff and prisoners could be meant to include SDF forces defending the prison, and ISIS attackers trying to help prisoners escape. The SDF arrested a number of attackers, and has also captured 27 in nearby Raqqa, suggesting that they are worried about a growing ISIS presence.
The US is praising the SDF, but also crediting America’s own involvement in the fighting. This was seen as a “major ISIS comeback plot,” and indeed this was the biggest ISIS fight in Syria since 2019.
Where the ISIS situation goes from here remains to be seen, but the group is probably not going to give up after one failed raid, and has shown that it has recovered some of its power. That said, the Raqqa arrest raids show the SDF is also going to be proactive in trying to stamp down any ISIS presence.
Can’t let the IS die, but can’t let it get too powerful, either way keep it blooded and mean.
Winston Churchill: “Never let a good crisis go to waste.” This story will be used to keep meddling in, starving, and preventing Syria from rebuilding. The entire story didn’t make sense. To start, I would question a concept of a jail operated by “Kurdish militias who are democratic” holding children. After which the jail was taken over while it was being bombed from the air. (Sarcasm) I don’t think we know enough to understand exactly what happened here.
Ironically Churchill said that regarding the formation of the United Nations.
We will hear more about this, as it is not over.
There is no way this has anything to do with ISIS. There is no ISIS any more as its ideoligicak and financial Wahhabi sponsor abadoned then by fall of 2017.
Anything that had a label ISIS later came from “desert” as we caimed forever. Those were hit and run saboteurs to justify SDF -/ by the way grouo NOT representing anyone in Syria,
This ine was different. This was clise to Iraqi border and the region with a large Iraqi refugee community ever since Saddam Hussein time.
This apoears to be a group of tribesmen from tge area, determined to get some of their people out. Hope we stopped dreaming that this is really a prison full of ISIS. US and their SDF arm have been known for capturing political opponents, resistors of every kind. ISIS kept are probably volunteers that came from around the world and had niwhere to go, so were placed in two camps. One outside Hassakah and another in the border with Jordan, controlled by Al-Tanf US base.
There is something else going in here — Syria complaining about the fate of underage children and young adults who were children when captured. Many without parents. It was news for a hot second — now the nrmes is of heroic US actiin against ISIS.
I would not be shocked if Syrian government knew about it, Because this orisin is the only reason for SDF existence there.
It is also fake news that they captured anyone in Raqqa. First, there is no way without any mrmeans of infirmatiin gathering that any persin could be found there. Second —SDF is not in charge in Raqqa — Syria is. SDF is simply alliwed to walk freely in the area as Syria wants no entanglement with US. But Raqqa is a majority Syrian Arab populatiin and they are having bad memories of SDF rulung over them after the fall of Raqqa. But they left when Trump pulled US forces.
There are real questiins about numbers. Who knows how many are really left in the prison. This is not the last word on this situatiin – as SDF here is not desired by anyone, least of all Kurdish population.