United States nearing completion of ISIS detainee transfer from Syria to Iraq

(Patria) - The U.S. military expects to complete the transfer of up to 7,000 Islamic State (ISIS) detainees from Syrian prisons to Iraq in the coming days, a U.S. official told Reuters.

The U.S. military’s Central Command said Wednesday its forces transferred 150 ISIS detainees from a holding facility in Syria’s Hasaka province to Iraq, citing the need to protect them from any prison break.

The transfers come after the rapid collapse of Kurdish-led forces in northeastern Syria (SDF) raised concerns about prison security following the escape of approximately 200 lower-ranking ISIS members from Shaddadi prison on Tuesday. Syrian government forces have since recaptured many of them.

A U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the U.S. transfers prioritize the “most dangerous” Islamic State fighters and noted they are nationals of many different countries, including Europe.

Iraqi legal sources said ISIS detainees sent from Syria so far include a mix of nationalities, with Iraqis making up the largest group, along with Arab fighters from other countries and nationals of the United Kingdom, Belgium, France, Germany, and Sweden.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Thursday thanked Iraq for taking in the detainees.

“Terrorists who are not Iraqi will be temporarily held in Iraq. The United States calls on countries to take responsibility and repatriate their citizens to these facilities to face justice,” Rubio said in a statement.

The Islamic State emerged in Iraq and Syria, and at its peak from 2014 to 2017, it held parts of the two countries, ruling over millions of people. The “caliphate” eventually collapsed after military campaigns by regional governments and a U.S.-led coalition.

The prisons from which ISIS members are being transferred are located in the northeastern Syrian province of Hasaka, where the SDF has worked closely with the United States for years.

The United States has supported the SDF since 2015, when the forces were conceived to drive the Islamic State group from northeastern Syria. The SDF later used the territory to establish an autonomous enclave, with separate civilian and military institutions.

But in late 2024, rebel forces led by President Ahmed al-Sharaa overthrew longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad and vowed to bring all of Syria under the control of a new government, including areas controlled by the SDF.

The Syrian government has recently retaken parts of northern and eastern Syria from Kurdish forces, consolidating Sharaa’s rule, in a reversal that has returned nearly all of Syria to Damascus-based rule. The United States has about 1,000 troops in Syria but has long considered withdrawing them.

With Assad’s overthrow, U.S. President Donald Trump developed close ties with Sharaa, lifting sanctions and welcoming Syria into an international coalition against the Islamic State.

U.S. envoy Tom Barrack said Tuesday that the SDF’s original purpose had largely expired and that the United States had no long-term interest in maintaining its presence in Syria.