Syria: ISIS terrorists escape from a prison in the north of the country

Syrian authorities said overnight Monday into Tuesday that dozens of Islamic State (ISIS) detainees escaped from a prison in the northeastern city of Al-Shaddadi, underscoring growing instability in the region. 

The Interior Ministry placed the number of escapees at around 120, sharply disputing reports by Kurdish outlet Rudaw, which claimed as many as 1,500 prisoners fled the facility.

Officials said Syrian special forces intercepted many of the detainees during the breakout, recapturing at least 81 of them. The circumstances of the escape, however, have heightened alarm across Syria, as reports also point to breaches at another detention site in the northeast.

The prison escapes come amid rapidly shifting control on the ground. The Syrian army’s advance into Kurdish-held areas, combined with the withdrawal of Kurdish forces, has created what security officials describe as a chaotic and dangerous vacuum. 

Both Syrian government forces and Kurdish authorities have traded blame for the failure, despite announcing a coordination agreement meant to stabilize the area. Continued clashes suggest that cooperation remains fragile at best.

The developments have revived fears of an ISIS resurgence. Thousands of jihadist fighters remain incarcerated in northeastern Syria, and analysts have long warned that regional turmoil could turn these facilities into flashpoints capable of reigniting the group’s networks.

Reacting to the unfolding crisis, U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham issued a sharp warning to Damascus. The Republican lawmaker said that if Syrian government forces continue their northern offensive, he will push to reinstate sweeping U.S. sanctions, cautioning that such a move would severely damage relations between Washington and the Syrian regime.