Syria's Interior Ministry said on Tuesday that about 120 Islamic State detainees escaped from Shaddadi prison, after the Kurdish website Rudaw reported that a spokesperson for the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, Farhad Shami, said around 1,500 Islamic State members had escaped.
The Syrian ministry said Syrian army units and ministry special forces entered Shaddadi following the breakout. It said security forces had recaptured 81 of the escapees after search and sweep operations in the town and surrounding areas, with efforts continuing to arrest the remaining fugitives.
Earlier, the Syrian army said "a number of" Islamic State militants had escaped a prison that had been under SDF control in the eastern city of Shaddadi, accusing the SDF of releasing them.
After days of fighting with government forces, the SDF agreed on Sunday to withdraw from both Raqqa and Deir al-Zor, two Arab-majority provinces they had controlled for years and the location of Syria's main oil fields.
Meanwhile, Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa and U.S. President Donald Trump discussed developments in Syria during a phone call on Monday (19 January), including Kurdish rights and cooperation against Islamic State, the Syrian presidency said.
According to the presidency, both leaders stressed the need to preserve the rights of Kurdish people within the Syrian state and agreed to continue working together to combat Islamic State.
The call came a day after Damascus signed a wide-ranging integration agreement with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), aimed at incorporating Kurdish civilian and military structures into state institutions.
Despite the deal, tensions persisted on Monday in parts of northern Syria, underscoring the fragility of the arrangement following days of fighting.
The agreement marks a significant shift in Syria’s political and security landscape, as Damascus moves to reassert control over territory previously held by the SDF, once the main U.S. ally in the country.
U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to seize Kharg Island and other major Iranian oil and gas facilities, escalating tensions between Washingto...
The ambassadors of France, Germany and Britain have attended a meeting at Russia’s Foreign Ministry, raising questions about a possible ceasefire be...
British Defence Minister John Healey has resigned from UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government over a disagreement about defence spending. ...
The United States is stepping up engagement with Central Asia on critical minerals as global demand for strategic resources intensifies. The issue dom...
Israel's cabinet is expected to approve a plan on Thursday (11 June) to allocate around one billion shekels ($338 million) for settlement development ...
U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to seize Kharg Island and other major Iranian oil and gas facilities, escalating tensions between Washington and Tehran.
The ambassadors of France, Germany and Britain have attended a meeting at Russia’s Foreign Ministry, raising questions about a possible ceasefire between Moscow and Kyiv, or at least the resumption of peace talks.
British Defence Minister John Healey has resigned from UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government over a disagreement about defence spending.
The United States is stepping up engagement with Central Asia on critical minerals as global demand for strategic resources intensifies. The issue dominated regional talks in Astana between Washington and the five Central Asian states.
Mexico and South Africa meet in Thursday’s World Cup opener in Mexico City, with both teams approaching the match from very different positions but facing their own pressures.
Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry says 19 citizens have been repatriated following a deadly drone attack on two cargo ships in the Sea of Azov on 5 June.
A Sudanese man has been arrested over a knife attack in Belfast that left a man seriously injured and prompted calls online for a protest after footage of the incident circulated widely on social media.
Iran and Israel said on Monday (8 June) they had halted attacks on each other following an appeal from U.S. President Donald Trump, as Axios reported that Trump had privately told Benjamin Netanyahu “be careful, or you will be on your own very soon”.
The Pakistani city of Karachi is struggling under severe heat and humidity as the country enters a prolonged heatwave period. The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has warned of above-normal temperatures across much of the country between 7 and 12 June.
The United States is stepping up engagement with Central Asia on critical minerals as global demand for strategic resources intensifies. The issue dominated regional talks in Astana between Washington and the five Central Asian states.
Israel's cabinet is expected to approve a plan on Thursday (11 June) to allocate around one billion shekels ($338 million) for settlement development in the West Bank, according to reports and anti-settlement campaigners.
India is expected to receive below-average rainfall over the next two weeks, particularly across central and northern regions, as weather systems known as western disturbances slow the advance of the annual monsoon, senior weather officials said.
A prominent Palestinian doctor detained by Israel for more than 500 days appeared by video link before Israel's Supreme Court on Wednesday (10 June), marking the first time he has been seen publicly since February, according to rights groups.
All personnel on board a Pakistani military helicopter were killed when the aircraft crashed near Muzaffarabad in Pakistan-administered Kashmir on Wednesday (10 June), according to the country's military.
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