Dozens of armed militants still hold corner of Syria prison

U.S.-backed Kurdish-led forces say dozens of armed Islamic State militants remain holed up in the last occupied section of a Syrian prison, The two sides clashed a day after the Syrian Democratic Forces announced they had regained control

BEIRUT -- Dozens of armed Islamic State militants remained holed up in the last occupied section of a Syrian prison, U.S.-backed Kurdish-led forces said Thursday. The two sides clashed a day after the Syrian Democratic Forces announced they had regained full control of the facility.

Fighting between the armed extremists and SDF troops left at least two militants dead, the SDF said in a statement. It said between 60 and 90 militants were hiding out in the northern section of the prison in the northeastern city of Hassakeh.

The SDF claimed Wednesday it had regained full control of the prison — a week after scores of militants overran the facility. The attackers allowed some to escape, took hostages and clashed with SDF fighters in violence that killed dozens.

The weeklong assault on one of the largest detention facilities in Syria turned Hassakeh into a conflict zone. The Kurdish-led administration declared a curfew and sealed off the city, barring movement in and out.