US Forces Complete ISIS Prisoner Transfer From Syria to Iraq

U.S. forces have completed a 23-day operation to relocate more than 5,700 ISIS terror suspects from Syria to Iraq, the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced on Feb. 13.

The relocation operation began on Jan. 21, following a series of armed clashes near multiple detention camps used to house ISIS suspects and their families.

Predominantly Kurdish Syrian Defense Forces (SDF), which have partnered with U.S. forces in efforts to defeat ISIS, have guarded these detention camps for several years.

By Jan. 19, however, forces of Syria’s new transitional government attempted to take over the facilities, leading to a series of armed clashes that risked setting off a prison break.

The Damascus-based interim government accused the SDF of setting 120 detainees free at the Shaddadi detention camp.

Authorities in Damascus further accused the SDF of abandoning the Hol prison camp without proper coordination, risking additional ISIS escapes.

CENTCOM, which oversees U.S. military operations in the Middle East, said it launched the detainee relocation mission “to help ensure the terrorists remain in secure detention facilities.”

“Job well done to the entire Joint Force team who executed this exceptionally challenging mission on the ground and in the air with great focus, professionalism, and collaboration with our regional partners,” Adm. Brad Cooper, the CENTCOM commander, said on Friday.

“We appreciate Iraq’s leadership and recognition that transferring the detainees is essential to regional security.”

The Trump administration has taken steps to resolve disagreements between the SDF and the new Syrian government and partner with both factions in counter-ISIS efforts.

Syria’s new government took power in Damascus in December 2024, after then-Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad fled the country following more than a decade of civil war.

Ahmad al-Sharaa, Syria’s current interim president, led the final rebel offensive to seize Damascus.

Sharaa has since pressed for Syria’s Kurds to integrate with his new government.

On Jan. 30, the SDF and Sharaa’s government announced a cease-fire and a plan to integrate the SDF into the Syrian military.

The plan also includes provisions to safeguard Kurdish interests in post-Assad Syria.

On Feb. 9, the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS said Sharaa’s new Syrian government had become the 90th participating member of the coalition.

While counter-ISIS efforts continue, CENTCOM is working to consolidate the U.S. force footprint in Syria.

On Feb. 12, CENTCOM announced U.S. forces had completed a drawdown from al-Tanf Garrison, which had served as a key hub for U.S. military operations within Syria.

“U.S. forces remain poised to respond to any ISIS threats that arise in the region as we support partner-led efforts to prevent the terrorist network’s resurgence,” Cooper said.