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Islamic State prison riot underscores fragile security in northeast Syria

The issue of what to do with Islamic State prisoners in northeast Syria continues to be a nagging problem.

Women walk past a tent in al-Hol camp, Syria, January 8, 2020. REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic     SEARCH "ISLAMIC STATE PRISONERS" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES. - RC2YYE9CVKHM
Women walk past a tent in al-Hol camp in Hasakah province, Syria, Jan. 8, 2020. What to do with Islamic State prisoners, and the detained families of Islamic State members, continues to be a major challenge in northeast Syria. — REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic

As battle-hardened Islamic State prisoners grow increasingly restless in northeast Syria’s detention centers, Kurdish authorities are warning of their potential to exploit gaps in security while the international community’s attention is focused elsewhere. 

IS fighters took control of a large prison in the northeastern Syrian city of Hasakah on Saturday, according to the US-backed, Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) that run the facility. The riot ended a day later when the SDF and members of the American-led coalition fighting IS negotiated with the militants.

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