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January 27, 2022

180 Killed as U.S.-Backed Forces Retake Syrian Prison Where Children Are Imprisoned
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In Syria, Kurdish-led forces backed by U.S. helicopter gunships have
recaptured a prison in the northeastern city of Hasakah, ending a
week-long battle that began when Islamic State fighters attempted a
jailbreak. The fighting left more than 180 people dead. The siege ended
after the U.S.-backed Syrian Defense Forces cut off food and water to
the jail for two days. More than 700 imprisoned children - some as young
as 12 years old - were reportedly used as human shields during the
siege. Last year, a United Nations report found conditions inside the
jail amounted to torture, with prisoners packed in overcrowded cells,
denied access to sunlight, medical care and proper nutrition.


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