US moves ISIS prisoners from Syria to Iraq
Officials say as many as 7,000 detainees could eventually be moved, representing the bulk of the roughly 9,000 ISIS fighters still held in Kurdish-managed facilities in Syria
The US military has started relocating Islamic State (ISIS) prisoners from northeastern Syria to Iraq, following recent prison escapes and growing instability in the region, according to the New York Times.
On Wednesday, US forces transported the first 150 ISIS fighters from a detention facility in northeastern Syria to a secure, undisclosed location in Iraq.
Officials say as many as 7,000 detainees could eventually be moved, representing the bulk of the roughly 9,000 fighters still held in Kurdish-managed facilities.
The transfers come in the wake of a prison breakout in the northeastern city of Al-Shaddadi, where Syrian authorities reported that around 120 detainees escaped overnight Monday.
Kurdish sources told the New York Times however that up to 1,500 prisoners had fled, though many were reportedly recaptured by Syrian special forces.
The escape has underscored mounting concerns about the security of ISIS detention centers as the Syrian government regains control over territory previously held by Kurdish-led forces.
Soldiers of the Syrian Democratic Forces, backed by the US, were deployed to secure roads leading to the facilities, but shifting control on the ground has created a “chaotic and dangerous vacuum,” according to security officials cited by i24NEWS.
Clashes between Syrian government troops and Kurdish authorities continue despite a coordination agreement aimed at stabilizing the region, highlighting the fragility of the situation.
“This move is critical to preventing escapes and keeping former ISIS fighters contained,” a US military official told the New York Times. US and partner forces detained more than 300 ISIS operatives in Syria last year and killed over 20 in military operations.
The latest transfers mark a major change in the U.S.-backed system for detaining ISIS fighters, established after the group lost its territorial strongholds in 2019. Analysts warn that instability and prison breaches could allow the terrorist organization to regroup, potentially reigniting networks in the region.
U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham has warned that continued Syrian military advances in the north could prompt the U.S. to reimpose broad sanctions, signaling Washington’s concern over the region’s security and its impact on counterterrorism efforts.