The decision to move IS prisoners from Syria to Iraq came at the request of Baghdad, officials say

Iraq Begins Transfer of ISIS Prisoners from Syria Amid Security Concerns

Iraqi authorities have initiated the transfer of Islamic State group prisoners from northeast Syria to detention facilities in Iraq, following concerns about potential security threats should the detainees escape amid ongoing regional instability, officials confirmed Thursday.

The transfer began Wednesday with approximately 150 IS members being moved from Syria’s northeastern Hassakeh province to “secure locations” in Iraq, according to U.S. Central Command. The operation could eventually involve up to 7,000 detainees currently held in Kurdish-controlled facilities.

An Iraqi security official, speaking on condition of anonymity, revealed that Baghdad proactively offered to accept the prisoners, a move welcomed by both the U.S.-led coalition and the Syrian government. The official emphasized that housing these detainees in Iraqi prisons rather than leaving them vulnerable to escape in Syria was considered crucial for Iraq’s national security interests.

“Iraq offered proactively to take the IS prisoners,” confirmed a senior U.S. military official, who also requested anonymity as they were not authorized to comment publicly on the matter.

The decision comes at a critical juncture as Syrian government forces have expanded their control in northeastern Syria, recently seizing the sprawling al-Hol camp, which houses thousands of mostly women and children affiliated with IS. Syrian troops also captured a prison in Shaddadeh, where some detainees briefly escaped before being recaptured, according to state media reports.

Further complicating the situation, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) reported Thursday that government forces had shelled the al-Aqtan prison near Raqqa with heavy weapons while simultaneously besieging the facility with tanks and fighters. This prison, which also holds IS detainees, has become a focus of tensions between the SDF and advancing government forces.

A Syrian foreign ministry official noted that discussions about transferring IS prisoners to Iraq had been ongoing for months before the recent clashes with the SDF, indicating this was part of a longer-term security strategy rather than merely a response to immediate developments.

The Kurdish-led SDF still controls more than a dozen detention facilities holding approximately 9,000 IS members. Under a peace process, these prisons are scheduled to be handed over to government control, with the SDF eventually merging with Syrian government forces.

This prisoner transfer carries significant implications for regional security. The Islamic State declared a caliphate across large parts of Syria and Iraq in 2014, attracting thousands of foreign fighters. Although the group was territorially defeated in Iraq by 2017 and in Syria two years later, IS sleeper cells continue to carry out deadly attacks in both countries.

The SDF, which played a crucial role in defeating IS as a key U.S. ally, has accused the Syrian government of violating a four-day truce declared Tuesday. They claim government forces have bombarded areas near Kobani, a northern town that became emblematic of resistance against IS a decade ago when it withstood a months-long siege by the militant group.

Conditions in Kobani are reportedly deteriorating rapidly. Nesrin Abdullah of the Women’s Protection Units (YPJ) described a dire humanitarian situation during an online news conference: “The people here are facing a genocide. We have many people in hospitals and hospitals cannot continue if there is no electricity.” She warned that thousands could be “massacred” if fighting continues around the town, which currently lacks electricity and running water.

Over recent years, the SDF has already handed over numerous foreign fighters to Iraqi authorities, including French citizens who subsequently faced trial and received sentences in Iraq. This established precedent has paved the way for the current larger-scale prisoner transfer operation.

As regional dynamics continue to shift in northeast Syria, the fate of these IS detainees remains a critical security concern for both Iraq and the international community working to prevent any resurgence of the extremist group that once controlled vast territories across both countries.