US Military Initiates Transfer of Islamic State Prisoners from Syria to Iraq

Thu Jan 22 2026 12:15:09 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

In an effort to prevent potential security threats, the US military has begun transferring up to 7,000 Islamic State fighters from prisons in northeastern Syria to Iraq.

The US military is actively transferring Islamic State prisoners from northeastern Syria to Iraq, motivated by concerns over potential breakouts that could threaten regional security. This operation follows recent developments, including a ceasefire between Syrian governmental forces and Kurdish-led groups, indicating increased tensions in the region. The US aims to secure facilities housing IS prisoners while reconsidering its partnership with local forces.

The US military has launched a mission to transfer up to 7,000 Islamic State (IS) group fighters from prisons in north-eastern Syria to Iraq, as Syrian government forces take control of areas long controlled by Kurdish-led forces.

US Central Command said it had already moved 150 IS fighters from Hassakeh province to a secure location in Iraq.

The move aimed to prevent a breakout that would pose a direct threat to the United States and regional security, it added.

On Tuesday night, Syria's government announced a new ceasefire with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), after the militia alliance withdrew from al-Hol camp, which holds thousands of relatives of IS fighters.

Separately on Wednesday, Syria's defence ministry said seven soldiers were killed in a drone attack by Kurdish forces in the Kurdish-dominated province of Hasakah.

The government and SDF had earlier blamed each other over the escape of suspected IS fighters from an SDF-run prison in Shaddadi, in southern Hassakeh.

Syria's interior ministry reported that its special forces and army soldiers had entered the town following the escape of around 120 [IS] terrorists from the prison. Search operations resulted in the arrest of 81 fugitives.

According to the SDF, around 1,500 IS members had escaped during clashes, resulting in accusations against government forces of attacking al-Aqtan prison, which holds IS members and leaders.

IS, while weakened in Syria, remains active and predominantly targets Kurdish-led forces in the northeast. The US, once a key ally of the SDF, has detained over 300 IS operatives and killed more than 20 during operations in 2025.

However, US special envoy Tom Barrack stated that the rationale for the US-SDF partnership has largely expired, focusing instead on securing IS prisoner facilities and facilitating talks between the SDF and the Syrian government.

This moment offers a pathway to full integration into a unified Syrian state with citizenship rights, cultural protections, and political participation - long denied under Bashar al-Assad's regime, he shared on X.