Fears grow for 850 children in Syria prison seized by Isis
- Armed jihadists have hunkered down inside a Syrian prison, possibly using minors as human shields
- The attack is the biggest by Isis militants since the fall of the group’s ‘caliphate’ in 2019
Fears are growing for hundreds of children in a Syrian prison seized by Islamic State inmates, after almost a week of clashes with Kurdish-led fighters seeking to regain control of the facility.
About 850 children were caught in the crossfire as Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) aided by US troops attempt to storm the prison in Hasaka city after it was seized by militants last Thursday, leaving dozens dead.
“Every day counts. It’s very hard to even imagine what atrocities these children are witnessing,” Juliette Touma, Unicef’s Middle East and North Africa regional advocacy and communications head, said.
“The children’s lives are in immediate risk,” Touma said.
Dozens of Isis fighters escaped into the surrounding area in last Thursday’s attack, which included detonating a car bomb near the prison gates, while other inmates took over part of the facility.
The SDF said the death tally stood at around 200 inmates and 27 of its fighters, while over 550 militants have surrendered. Clashes continued with militants still holed up in some buildings.