SDF commander confirms five ISIS prisoners escape after Turkey shelling

The commander-in-chief of the Syrian Democratic Forces has confirmed that Turkish shelling has hit a prison holding ISIS extremists in northeastern Syria, resulting in the escape of five detained members.

The statement came from SDF chief General Mazlum Kobani Abdi during an interview with journalists and researchers with the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.

“Guarding ISIS detainees is no longer a priority,” Abdi was quoted as saying.

A prison guard at Navkur, which is located in the town of Qamishli, had told AFP before the reported breakout that the facility housed mostly foreign extremists.

Turkey and its Syrian proxies on Wednesday launched a deadly cross-border military offensive against areas controlled by the SDF.