Iraq tells EU ISIS detainee burden must be shared, urges role in Syria talks

BAGHDAD — Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein told the European Union’s top diplomat Kaja Kallas that Iraq should not be left to shoulder the security and financial burden of Islamic State detainees alone, saying responsibility for the file “rests with all concerned countries.”

The remarks came during a phone call Saturday between Hussein and Kallas, in which the two discussed the fate of ISIS prisoners held in Syria and wider regional developments. According to a statement from Iraq’s Foreign Ministry, Kallas thanked Baghdad for its initial acceptance to receive detainees.

The call also addressed attacks on Kurdish areas by Syrian regime forces and affiliated armed groups, as well as the need to maintain a ceasefire in the Hasakah region. The statement said both sides stressed the importance of the European Union playing an active role in supporting negotiations between the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces and the Syrian regime “with the aim of reaching clear agreements and committing to their implementation.”

The diplomatic engagement comes as Syrian regime forces and allied groups press an offensive in Kurdish-majority areas of northeastern Syria. Kurdish leaders say the renewed fighting has displaced civilians and raised fears of demographic change and ethnic targeting.

During the clashes, monitoring groups and Kurdish officials have accused Syrian government forces and allied armed groups of abuses and possible war crimes, including the destruction of homes and businesses, the displacement of tens of thousands of residents, and reports of summary executions and mutilation of bodies.