"These families fled in such a hurry with almost nothing on them in harsh winter weather. Many have already been displaced and fled violence from other parts of Syria," Ms Touma added.Dozens of IS inmates managed to escape during the attack, which has seen a car bomb detonated andOther prisoners have taken over part of the facility and some are still holed up in nearby buildings.
The UN's children's agency said fighting must end immediately so the children, some of which are as young as 12, can leave safely.They were all detained during the US-backed campaigns that drove IS from its last territorial enclave in Syria back in 2019. US Human Rights Watch and other organisations have long criticised the Kurdish-led forces for holding children under inhuman conditions in makeshift prisons.
The Gweiran prison is the largest of several where the SDF holds thousands without charges or trial and includes civilians who resist forced conscription. It holds around 3,500 IS prisoners and is one of many in the region housing former members of the group.
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