Moscow Concerned Over Guarding Of Imprisoned IS Militants Amid Turkey's Offensive In Syria

Russia is concerned over the situation with guarding of imprisoned members of the Islamic State terrorist group (IS, banned in Russia) after the start of Turkey's offensive in Syria's north, the Foreign Ministry's spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova, said on Thursday

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 17th October, 2019) Russia is concerned over the situation with guarding of imprisoned members of the Islamic State terrorist group (IS, banned in Russia) after the start of Turkey's offensive in Syria's north, the Foreign Ministry's spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova, said on Thursday.

"Terrorists have taken advantage of the tensions upsurge, and they have activated the network of the so-called sleeping cells.

In this regard, we are highly concerned over guarding of the captured IS militants, held in prisons near Euphrates east bank, and members of their families, who stay in camps for internally displaced persons, including in the Al-Hawl camp, which houses 70,000 people," Zakharova said at a briefing.

Turkey launched Operation Peace Spring in northern Syria on October 9 with the aim of targeting Kurdish militia, labeled as terrorists by Ankara, and the IS.