US begins transferring ISIS detainees from Syria to Iraq

BAGHDAD — U.S. Central Command announced Wednesday the start of a mission to transfer Islamic State detainees from northeastern Syria to detention facilities in Iraq, beginning with the relocation of 150 individuals held in Hasakah.

“We are closely coordinating with regional partners, including the Iraqi government, and we sincerely appreciate their role in ensuring the enduring defeat of ISIS,” said CENTCOM commander Adm. Brad Cooper in a statement.

He added, “Facilitating the orderly and secure transfer of ISIS detainees is critical to preventing a breakout that would pose a direct threat to the United States and regional security.”

CENTCOM said the initial phase of the mission moved 150 ISIS fighters from Hasakah to Iraq, and the program could ultimately involve the transfer of up to 7,000 detainees.

The announcement comes as Syrian government forces and allied armed groups continue assaults against Kurdish-held areas in northeastern Syria, including Rojava, raising regional fears of wider instability and the possible resurgence of the Islamic State group.

The fighting and rapid territorial shifts have renewed international concern over prisons and camps holding thousands of Islamic State detainees and their families. Clashes near several detention sites have led to reported escapes, heightening fears among observers that ongoing instability could enable the extremist group to regroup and pose renewed security threats across the region.

The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, long backed by the U.S.-led coalition and central to the campaign that dismantled the Islamic State’s territorial control in 2019.