Britain faces increased danger from the Islamic State terror network after fighting in once Kurdish-controlled parts of Syria led to the freeing of hundreds of ISIS prisoners, with fears growing of a mass break-out from the al-Hol prison, which holds thousands of inmates including 6,000 foreign fighters, some of them originally British.
Battles between the Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and Syrian government soldiers have already resulted in the release of hundreds of ISIS prisoners. A number of female ISIS prisoners may have been freed from al-Hol in north east Syria, with sources telling the Daily Mirror that some escapees were heading for the border with Iraq.
Thousands more, including jailed former Londoner Shamima Begum, could be freed, escalating the terror risk to the UK. The western-backed SDF had warned for years that these camps, packed with local and foreign ISIS prisoners, were vulnerable to attack. The prisoners had been locked up after the SDF, with help from US special forces, drove ISIS from its Raqqa headquarters between 2018 and 2019.
A western security source told the Daily Mirror: “The SDF have warned this could happen for years, having sacrificed so much to beat ISIS in the first place. The west ploughed millions into training and funding the SDF and now they are being forced to retreat, to the detriment of the security situation in the west, including in the UK.” The source added that ISIS getting a foothold again means it can plot attacks in the west and radicalise individuals in the UK.
Fighting between the SDF and Syrian military has intensified since the Islamist-led government of President Ahmed al-Sharaa came to power just over a year ago. Despite a ceasefire agreement, clashes continue near Raqqa, and there are reports that other ISIS jails are vulnerable under the network's “break down the walls” policy. Recently around 120 inmates escaped from al-Shaddadi prison in Hasakah, though the Syrian government says most have been recaptured. Former FBI and Middle East expert Ali Soufan reported that upwards of 1,500 Islamic State militants could have escaped, and that ISIS has rapidly built up its capabilities and operational tempo in recent months.
