Peregraf — The U.S. military has completed a large-scale operation to transfer thousands of ISIS detainees from northeastern Syria to Iraq, as Iraqi authorities confirmed all transferred prisoners will be held exclusively in high-security facilities in Baghdad.
According to U.S. Central Command, a nighttime flight on Feb. 12 marked the completion of a 23-day transfer mission that began on Jan. 21. The operation resulted in the transport of more than 5,700 adult male ISIS fighters from detention facilities in Syria into Iraqi custody, aimed at ensuring the detainees remain securely held and preventing any potential security vacuum.
CENTCOM Commander Brad Cooper praised the operation, describing it as exceptionally complex and emphasizing cooperation with regional partners. He said the transfer was essential for regional security and thanked Iraq for its role in receiving the detainees.
Mission planning and execution were led by U.S. and coalition forces under Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve, the coalition established in 2014 to combat the ISIS network. CJTF-OIR Commander Kevin Lambert said the orderly transfer would help prevent an ISIS resurgence in Syria, noting the coalition’s continued focus on long-term stability after the group’s territorial defeat in 2019.
Separately, on Feb. 11, Iraq’s Justice Minister Khalid Shwani confirmed that all ISIS prisoners transferred from Syria will be detained solely in Baghdad. He stressed that none of the detainees will be sent to the Kurdistan Region, including facilities in Sulaymaniyah such as Suse or Chamchamal prisons.
“These prisons are designated for criminal and civil cases, not terrorism,” Shwani said, adding that the detainees will be held in a specially designated high-security prison in Baghdad.
The justice minister noted that the transferred prisoners include nationals from around 60 countries, with Syrians forming the largest group, followed by citizens of neighboring states. He said the detainees will be prosecuted in Iraqi courts by a special judicial body created to handle terrorism cases. Shwani added that diplomatic efforts—coordinated with the U.S.-led international coalition—are ongoing to repatriate foreign nationals to their countries of origin.
The transfer comes amid continued international concern over the security and long-term management of ISIS detainees held in Syria, as coalition and Iraqi officials frame the operation as a key step to reducing risks of escape and regrouping by the extremist organization.