ALBAWABA- U.S. President Donald Trump said European ISIS militants detained in Syrian prisons attempted to escape during recent unrest, adding that Washington worked closely with Syria’s new government and its leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, to contain the threat, according to remarks reported by The New York Post.
The comments came as clashes erupted on January 19 around detention facilities in northeastern Syria, raising fears of an Islamic State resurgence amid the rapid transfer of control from the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) to Damascus.
The fighting broke out a day after the SDF agreed to hand over security responsibilities under a ceasefire and integration deal with the Syrian government.
Syrian officials accused the SDF of deliberately releasing detainees from al-Shaddadi prison in Hasakah province to exploit the security vacuum, a claim the SDF denied. Kurdish commanders said the breaches were caused by attacks from Damascus-aligned factions, not an organized release.
The Syrian government said it later seized the prison and recaptured several escapees, though estimates cited by regional officials suggest more than 100 ISIS inmates fled, including European nationals detained since the group’s defeat in 2019.
For years, the U.S.-backed SDF held thousands of foreign fighters, many from Europe, in makeshift prisons. Under the new agreement, those facilities and detainees are to be transferred to central government control as SDF fighters are vetted and integrated into Syria’s security institutions.
Trump reveals why he posted Emmanuel Macron’s private text message — and says he stopped wild Syria prison break by terrorists https://t.co/SOHIbxdLrt pic.twitter.com/lEvANuSkLr
— New York Post (@nypost) January 20, 2026
Trump said the episode underscored the risks posed by “European terrorists” remaining in Syria and pointed to coordination with Damascus to prevent wider instability. U.S. officials characterized the ceasefire and handover as an opportunity to stabilize the northeast while maintaining pressure on ISIS, as Washington continues to reduce its military footprint and shift more responsibility to Syrian authorities.
The developments unfolded alongside escalating transatlantic tensions over Trump’s push to acquire Greenland, which dominated discussions at the World Economic Forum in Davos.
European leaders warned that the disputes, spanning Syria, Ukraine, and Arctic security, risk straining NATO unity, even as Washington insists its priority remains preventing an ISIS revival and safeguarding U.S. and allied security interests.
