LONDON: The army of the Syrian Arab Republic launched sweeping operations south of Hasakah in the country’s northeast to arrest members of the Daesh terror group on Monday after the Syrian Democratic Forces released them from a prison in the town of Al-Shaddadi.

The army’s Operations Command announced that its units were securing Al-Shaddadi prison and its surrounding areas while also pursuing the arrests of Daesh detainees. The prison and Al-Shaddadi’s security facilities will be handed over to the Ministry of Interior immediately upon completion of security operations, according to the Syrian Arab News Agency.

Syrian military leaders contacted mediators and SDF officials to transfer control of the prison and its perimeter to the government’s internal security forces, but SDF leaders declined, according to SANA.

The Syrian army said it holds the SDF fully responsible for the release of Daesh components from Al-Shaddadi prison, emphasizing that army units would implement necessary measures to restore security in the area.

Syrian forces began deploying across the Jazira region on Monday to secure it under an agreement between the Syrian state and the SDF.