On Saturday, at least 25 inmates, who are accused of having affiliations with the ISIS extremist group reportedly escaped from a prison in the Turkish military-controlled city of Ras al-Ain, located in northeastern Syria.
The escaped detainees comprise individuals from Iraq, Syria, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait.
According to local sources in the rural area of Al-Hasakah, a total of 25 inmates, all alleged members of the ISIS organization, have successfully escaped the confines of a prison under the control of the so-called “Military Police”.
This group is a faction of the Turkmen brigades, which are under the jurisdiction of the Turkish military, situated in the city of Ras al-Ain, in the northern part of Al-Hasakah province.
The sources further specified that among the escapees are ten Iraqis, one Saudi Arabian, one Kuwaiti, and thirteen Syrians, all originally from cities in the eastern part of Syria.
These individuals were apprehended during a security operation conducted by the Turkmen brigades at the tail end of the previous year and the start of this one.
The sources were, as of now, unable to definitively ascertain the escapees’ destination, although it is highly likely they headed towards the Turkish territories that border the city.
This incident occurred mere hours after approximately 40 families, believed to be associated with ISIS, and containing women and children, left Ras al-Ain in Al-Hasakah countryside and Tal Abyad in Al-Raqqa countryside.
These areas are currently under the control of the Turkish military. The families reportedly moved deeper into Turkish territories, utilizing the border crossing at Ras al-Ain.
Local sources reported that these families, all of whom hold Iraqi citizenship, were handed over to the Turkish consulate after entering Turkish territories. The consulate subsequently transferred them to the Iraqi government in a process indicating coordination between the two entities.