The United States has begun transferring up to 7,000 alleged Islamic State (IS) detainees from Syria to neighbouring Iraq, the US military said on Wednesday.
The operation started with the movement of 150 suspected IS fighters and is aimed at ensuring they remain in secure detention facilities.
US Central Command (CENTCOM) said the first group of detainees was moved from a facility in Hasakah province in northeastern Syria to secure locations in Iraq. The transfers are being carried out in close coordination with regional partners, including the Iraqi government.
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) January 21, 2026
CENTCOM commander Admiral Brad Cooper said the operation was necessary to prevent any security risks.
“Facilitating
the orderly and secure transfer of ISIS detainees is critical to preventing a breakout that would pose a direct threat to the United States and regional security,” Cooper said in a statement. He added that cooperation with Iraq was key to ensuring the long-term defeat of the militant group.
The move comes after recent political and security changes in Syria. Under a deal reached on Sunday, Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa and Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) chief Mazloum Abdi agreed that the Syrian government would take over responsibility for prisoners accused of being part of IS.
The agreement followed a ceasefire and the integration of the Kurdish-led administration into the Syrian state.
Thousands of alleged IS detainees are currently held in seven prisons across northeastern Syria. In addition, tens of thousands of people believed to be family members of the detainees are living in the Al-Hol and Roj camps, which have long raised security and humanitarian concerns.
The United States leads an international coalition that supported the SDF in the fight against IS. However, Washington said this week that the main purpose of its alliance with the SDF had largely ended, years after IS lost control of its territory.
The US is now backing Syria’s new Islamist political authorities as they seek to reassert control across the country after more than a decade of civil war.
(With inputs from agencies)
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