Syrian authorities have imposed an immediate curfew in the north-eastern city of al-Shaddadi after a number of ISIL detainees escaped during clashes between government forces and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
State media quoted the army as saying its troops now have full control of the city and the prison that had been holding suspected ISIL fighters. Security forces are carrying out house-to-house searches in al-Shaddadi and nearby towns to track down those who fled.
The Syrian military said the break-out happened as fighting intensified with SDF units, and accused the group of deliberately allowing the detainees to escape – a claim the SDF strongly denies.
The SDF said the prison was lost after it came under sustained attack by government forces, adding that nine of its fighters were killed and at least 20 wounded in the clashes.
The Kurdish-led force also said it repeatedly called on the United States-led coalition to intervene from a nearby base, but received no response.
The developments come just one day after Damascus and the SDF announced a nationwide ceasefire, under which the group agreed to withdraw from key parts of northern and eastern Syria.
Those areas include Raqqa and Deir Az Zor, two provinces the SDF has controlled for years and which include much of the country’s oil infrastructure.
President Ahmed al-Sharaa has described the deal as a major step towards restoring state authority following the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad in 2024.
Al-Shaddadi lies in Hasakah province, which remains largely under SDF control and contains several major detention centres and camps holding thousands of people accused of links to ISIL.
Although ISIL lost its territory in Syria and Iraq years ago, the group continues to operate through sleeper cells and remains a persistent security threat in the region.
