Under the eyes of police, twelve ISIS leaders escape prison in Northern Syria

Shafaq News/ Twelve ISIS prisoners, including leaders of the group, escaped from a prison in the Afrin region of northern Syria, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported on Friday.

The escape was reportedly carried out with the collusion of military police.

According to the SOHR, the prisoners escaped from a prison in the town of Bulbul, which is under the control of the Turkish-backed military police.

The SOHR said that the escape was "facilitated by the direct collusion and cooperation of elements and leaders of the military police."

After the escape was discovered, the military police arrested two of the escapees in an attempt to cover up the incident.

"The whereabouts of the remaining 10 escapees, who are all ISIS leaders and members, are still unknown," SOHR said.

Areas under the control of Turkish forces in the "Euphrates Shield," "Olive Branch," and "Peace Spring" regions are home to many ISIS leaders, who consider these areas to be safe havens.

In early 2023, the SOHR said that nearly 20 ISIS members escaped from the notorious Raju prison, north of Aleppo. The bribes paid for the escape ranged from $1,000 to $3,000 per prisoner, while some paid up to $10,000 to escape.

The prison holds dozens of civilians from the Afrin region who were arrested on charges of cooperating with the Kurdish forces. The prison is located near the Turkish-Syrian border.