The U.S. military has begun transferring Islamic State detainees from Syria to Iraq, moving 150 prisoners in an operation that could eventually involve up to 7,000 detainees, U.S. officials said on Wednesday.
The move comes after the rapid collapse of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces in northeast Syria, raising concerns over the security of multiple prisons and detention camps previously under their control.
In a statement, the U.S. military said the detainees were transferred from a detention facility in Hasakah, Syria, to a secure location in Iraq. The operation is part of a broader effort to reduce the risk posed by Islamic State prisoners amid shifting control in the region.
“We are closely coordinating with regional partners, including the Iraqi government, and we sincerely appreciate their role in ensuring the enduring defeat of ISIS,” said U.S. Admiral Brad Cooper, the head of U.S. forces in the Middle East.
U.S. Central Command later said Cooper spoke with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, briefing him on the detainee transfers and urging Syrian and other forces to avoid actions that could interfere with the operation.
The transfers come as Syria announced a ceasefire with Kurdish forces, following government advances that have reshaped control in the northeast. Kurdish groups have been given four days to agree to integrate into the central state, a move supported by the United States.
A U.S. official said around 200 low-level Islamic State fighters escaped from Syria’s Shaddadi prison earlier this week, though many were later recaptured by Syrian government forces.
More than 10,000 Islamic State members, along with thousands of women and children linked to the group, remain held in detention facilities across Syria.
