Detainees die as fire catches Islamic State-run prison in Tal Afar

Tal Afar (IraqiNews.com) Four detainees held by the Islamic Stat died and a fifth sustained injuries Sunday when fires caught at a prison run by the extremist group in western Nineveh, according to a local source.

Alsumaria News quoted the source saying that the prison was located on the outskirts of the town of Tal Afar, Islamic State’s lasr stronghold in Nineveh province.

According to the source, who did not provide information about the possible reason behind the blaze, the prison was allocated for detainees who were not IS members, and who had been accused of violating the group’s directives.

Since Islamic State members came to the scene in 2014 and occupied large parts of Iraq, they detained thousands of civilians and security personnel over multiple accusations. Iraqi forces ran into several prisons as they concluded the recapture of Mosul, IS’s largest stronghold, until early July.

Tal Afar is the next target of anti-Islamic State operations by the U.S.-backed Iraqi forces, according to the government and the military command.