At least 20 IS members escaped from a Syrian prison after the earthquake

Prison photo MIA

After the deadly earthquake that hit Syria yesterday, prisoners rioted and demanded to be released, with at least 20 escaping from the prison, which mainly holds members of the Islamic State group, he told AFP source from the institution.

The military police prison in the town of Rajo near the Turkish border holds about 2.000 prisoners, of whom about 1.300 are suspected IS fighters. There are also prisoners and fighters from Kurdish-led forces there.

"After the earthquake happened, Rayo was hit and the prisoners started rioting and took control of parts of the prison," said an official at Rayo prison, which is controlled by pro-Turkish factions.

"About 20 prisoners believed to be IS militants escaped," they added.

The 7,8-magnitude earthquake - which was followed by dozens of aftershocks in the region - caused damage to the prison, with walls and doors cracking, the source added.

The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said it could not confirm whether the prisoners had escaped, but confirmed there had been a riot.

In rebel-held parts of the northwest, at least 733 people have been killed and more than 2.100 injured, according to the White Helmets rescue group.

The Rajo incident followed an IS attack in December on a security compound in their former de facto Syrian capital of Raqqa, which was aimed at freeing fellow jihadists from prison there.

Six members of the Kurdish-led security forces that control the area were killed in the thwarted attack.

The conflict in Syria began in 2011 with a brutal crackdown on peaceful protests and escalated to draw in foreign powers and global jihadists.

Nearly half a million people have been killed and the conflict has forced about half of the country's pre-war population to flee their homes, with many seeking refuge in Turkey.

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