Islamic State Report on the Ghweiran Prison Battle in al-Naba'

Besides the Islamic State’s lead editorial on the Ghweiran prison battle, this week’s issue of the al-Naba’ newsletter also contains a detailed report on the battle (pages 4 and 5). In summary:

. The initial assault involved two suicide truck bombs, and 12 inghimasis [commandos who plunge into the enemy ranks, often with the expectation they will be killed in the process] spread over four contingents, contrary to the claim that hundreds of fighters were involved in the initial assault.

. The aim of the operation was to free prisoners and not open a fighting front with the Syrian Democratic Forces, but as the prison defences collapsed so rapidly and those freed on the inside managed to take up arms, it was decided to open up fighting fronts that could divert the enemy from the process of securing the safe exit of freed prisoners (presumably, higher-up figures in the organisation who had been imprisoned were given priority for safe evacuation). Details on numbers of prisoners freed etc. are not given.