Trump threatens 50% tariffs on Brazil if it doesn't stop the Bolsonaro 'witch hunt' trial    Trump praises 'good English' of Liberian president, prompting criticism across Africa    Saudi, Hungarian defense ministers discuss military ties    Al-Rajhi: Cabinet's decision is supportive to most vulnerable groups    King Salman appoints Dr. Majid Al-Fayyad as Royal Court advisor    Alkhorayef emphasizes Saudi Arabia's growing role as global industrial investment hub    Saudi Arabia adopts World Drowning Prevention Day as national health priority    GACA imposes SR2.8 million in fines for 87 civil aviation violations in Q2 2025    Desperate Gaza doctors cram several babies into one incubator as fuel crisis reaches critical point    Total e-messages sent to parties in lawsuits reach over 11.8 million during first half of 2025    3 arrested in assault case in Riyadh    New Property Ownership Law will take into effect in January 2026 Al-Hogail thanks King and Crown Prince for the updated law    HONOR returns to Esports World Cup as Official Smartphone Partner for 2025 The renewed commitment will see HONOR elevate mobile esports competition with cutting-edge AI technologies and industry-leading hardware    Riot Games responds to match-fixing allegations in VALORANT    BLAST responds to BESTIA Visa controversy ahead of CS2 Austin major    Christophe Galtier named NEOM SC head coach ahead of historic Saudi Pro League debut    Michael Madsen, actor of 'Kill Bill' and 'Reservoir Dogs' fame, dead at 67    BTS are back: K-pop band confirm new album and tour    Michelin Guide launches in Saudi Arabia with phased rollout in 2025    'How fragile we are': Roskilde Festival tragedy remembered 25 years on    Sholay: Bollywood epic roars back to big screen after 50 years with new ending    Ministry launches online booking for slaughterhouses on eve of Eid Al-Adha    Shah Rukh Khan makes Met Gala debut in Sabyasachi    Pakistani star's Bollywood return excites fans and riles far right    Exotic Taif Roses Simulation Performed at Taif Rose Festival    Asian shares mixed Tuesday    Weather Forecast for Tuesday    Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai    Minister of Industry Announces 50 Investment Opportunities Worth over SAR 96 Billion in Machinery, Equipment Sector    HRH Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Crown Prince of Kuwait on Death of Sheikh Fawaz Salman Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Malek Al-Sabah    HRH Crown Prince Congratulates Santiago Peña on Winning Presidential Election in Paraguay    SDAIA Launches 1st Phase of 'Elevate Program' to Train 1,000 Women on Data, AI    41 Saudi Citizens and 171 Others from Brotherly and Friendly Countries Arrive in Saudi Arabia from Sudan    Saudi Arabia Hosts 1st Meeting of Arab Authorities Controlling Medicines    General Directorate of Narcotics Control Foils Attempt to Smuggle over 5 Million Amphetamine Pills    NAVI Javelins Crowned as Champions of Women's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Competitions    Saudi Karate Team Wins Four Medals in World Youth League Championship    Third Edition of FIFA Forward Program Kicks off in Riyadh    Evacuated from Sudan, 187 Nationals from Several Countries Arrive in Jeddah    SPA Documents Thajjud Prayer at Prophet's Mosque in Madinah    SFDA Recommends to Test Blood Sugar at Home Two or Three Hours after Meals    SFDA Offers Various Recommendations for Safe Food Frying    SFDA Provides Five Tips for Using Home Blood Pressure Monitor    SFDA: Instant Soup Contains Large Amounts of Salt    Mawani: New shipping service to connect Jubail Commercial Port to 11 global ports    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Delivers Speech to Pilgrims, Citizens, Residents and Muslims around the World    Sheikh Al-Issa in Arafah's Sermon: Allaah Blessed You by Making It Easy for You to Carry out This Obligation. Thus, Ensure Following the Guidance of Your Prophet    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques addresses citizens and all Muslims on the occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Dangerous stalemate for inmates of Aleppo prison
Published in The Saudi Gazette on 19 - 09 - 2013

A general view of Aleppo's central prison. The prison in northern Syria has been under siege for five months by rebels trying to free the inmates — but instead, it has turned into a grueling battle of attrition, much like Syria's civil war at large. — AP


BEIRUT — The prisoners are crammed together in small, dark rooms with no water or electricity and barely enough food to survive. Diseases such as scabies and tuberculosis are rampant among them. Every so often, the crash of artillery shells rocks their sprawling prison complex, a stark reminder of the civil war raging outside.
They are the inmates of Aleppo's central prison, caught in the deadly stalemate of Syria's civil war.
Rebels have been besieging the facility for the past five months, saying they are determined to free the more than 4,000 detainees inside. Fighters have barreled suicide car bombs into the front gates twice, lob shells into the compound and battle frequently with the hundreds of guards and troops holed up inside.
Still, they've been unable to capture the imposing prison. Meanwhile, more than 150 prisoners have died during the siege, killed by shelling, dying from lack of medicine or outright executed by guards, opposition groups say.
The siege is emblematic of the bloody, cruel war of attrition into which Syria's conflict has descended during its third year. In the north, including Aleppo province, rebels have succeeded in seizing large swaths of countryside. But they have been unable to take control of urban centers.
The military of President Bashar Al-Assad has been able to hold onto bases and other strong points around the area, from which they can bombard rebel-held communities — but they can't take back territory.
The relentless carnage nationwide has left more than 100,000 dead, driven millions of others from their homes.
The sprawling prison lies on a highway north of Aleppo, once Syria's prized commercial center but now devastated by its own stalemate — with rebels controlling part of the city battling regime forces. The rebels launched their assault on the prison in April not just to free those inside, but also to uproot a regime pocket amid neighborhoods largely held by opposition forces.
Now those whom the rebels aimed to liberate are trapped in the battle. The prison's 4,600 inmates, including 150 women, are a mix of common criminals, rebels and opposition activists and supporters, according to the London-based Syrian Network for Human Rights, which monitors the conflict through a network of activists on the ground. Around 1,300 of the inmates have completed their sentences but have not been freed by authorities, the group says.
Diseases have spread in the jail, including more than 200 cases of tuberculosis, of which seven have already died, according to the SNHR. It said vomiting, diarrhea and poisoning are common among detainees because water tanks have not been cleaned for months and are full of plankton, worms and dirt.
“The life of detainees in that prison is dismal,” said Aleppo-based activist Mohammad Saeed. “The guards give very little food to the prisoners and sell them medicine for as much as $10 for a painkiller pill,” he said via Skype.
Since they began their siege in April, rebels have launched several assaults trying to overrun it. In May, fighters mainly from the Ahrar Al-Sham Islamic group broke in after setting off two simultaneous car bombs at its gates. They battled troops within the walls until the regime forces, backed by warplanes, drove the rebels out. In August, members of the Al-Qaeda-linked Jabhat Al-Nusra set off another car bomb near the prison, but failed to breach the walls. — AP


Clic here to read the story from its source.