Prison riot and fire in a northern Syrian town kills at least 7

A fire and riot erupted at a prison in a predominantly Kurdish town in northern Syria on Saturday, resulting in at least seven fatalities, according to state media. The SANA news agency reported that the fire ignited during a prison riot sparked by tensions escalated in the town the day prior between Kurds and Arabs. The prison, currently under the control of Kurdish fighters despite Syrian government forces entering the town recently, was the site of the violent incident.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a war monitor, claimed the riots stemmed from authorities' intent to relocate some inmates to a prison in the northern city of Aleppo. Kobani, previously under siege by the Islamic State group a decade ago, later became a launchpad for a U.S.-backed Kurdish offensive that ultimately led to the extremists losing the last piece of territory they once possessed in 2019.

Tensions between the Kurdish minority and the central government remain intense despite recent efforts to consolidate the northeast region of Syria under the control of the new government in Damascus. Notably, on Friday, riots had also broken out in Kobani after Kurds accused Arabs of murdering a Kurdish individual.