Syria: 20 escape prison holding Daesh inmates after deadly earthquake
-
Raven Ruma
- . February 7, 2023
- . Update: February 7, 2023 3:20 pm
At least 20 prisoners, who are believed to be Daesh militants, escaped the military prison in northwestern Syria on Monday following a deadly earthquake, a source at the facility told AFP.
The military prison holding mostly Daesh group members is situated in the town of Rajo near the Turkish border. According to the source, the jail holds about 2,000 inmates, with about 1,300 of them suspected to be Daesh members. It also holds fighters from Kurdish-led forces.
The official at the Rajo facility said, “After the earthquake struck, Rajo was affected and inmates started to mutiny and took control of parts of the prison.” The official revealed that 20 prisoners, who were believed to be Daesh militants, fled from the jail.
The British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor confirmed there was a mutiny at the facility. However, it could not verify whether prisoners had escaped from the prison.
Read | Fresh earthquake rattles Turkey, Syria just hours after first kills 1,400
The 7.8-magnitude earthquake caused damage to the prison. The earthquake hit Turkey and Syria on Monday morning while people were still in their sleep. The earthquake destroyed large buildings across the two countries. Dozens of aftershocks were also felt in the two countries.
Meanwhile, the confirmed death toll across Turkey and Syria has soared above 4,300. Turkish and Syrian disaster response teams have reported that more than 5,600 buildings have been affected across several cities. The World Health Organization (WHO) officials estimated that 20,000 may have died. Around 14,000 people have so far been reported injured in Turkey.
In many cities in Syria, many people were buried in the rubble of crushed buildings. The Syrian health ministry said that the quake caused damage across the provinces of Aleppo, Latakia, Hama and Tartus. The UN cultural agency UNESCO expressed fears over heavy damage in Aleppo in Syria. Dozens of nations have vowed to send help to Turkey and Syria.
