IS Syria prison attack puts child detainees in harm's way

A teenager trapped in a Syrian prison taken over by Islamic State militants pleads in an audio message for rescue

BEIRUT -- In a recording that emerged from a Syrian prison wing taken over by Islamic State group militants, a trapped teenager pleads for help, describing the mayhem of a days-long battle over the facility that has reportedly left multiple child inmates killed and wounded.

U.S.-backed Kurdish-led forces were advancing slowly inside the detention facility, where they said Tuesday they freed nine of their servicemen held hostage by the militants. At least 15 others are still held by IS, one Kurdish official said.

IS militants stormed the prison late Thursday, aiming to break out comrades inside. Around 200 militants remain holed up in the northern wing at one end of the prison complex, holding hostages from among the prison staff.

The Gweiran Prison, also known as al-Sinaa, is the largest detention facility in northeast Syria for suspected IS members, with more than 3,000 inmates, including hundreds of minors.