22 Jan 2026 - 12:07
The Kabul Tribune (KT) - The U.S. military said on Wednesday that it had transferred 150 ISIS detainees from a detention facility in Hasakah, Syria, to a secure location in Iraq, part of an effort that could eventually move up to 7,000 ISIS prisoners out of Syria.
The transfers follow the rapid collapse of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in northeastern Syria, which had been guarding a number of prisons and detention camps. The U.S. military said the move was coordinated with regional partners, including the Iraqi government, to ensure the continued defeat of ISIS.
U.S. Admiral Brad Cooper, head of U.S. forces in the Middle East, briefed Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa on the detainee transfers and urged Syrian and other forces to avoid actions that could interfere.
The transfers come amid a recent ceasefire between Syrian government forces and Kurdish fighters in the northeast, during which the government seized territory and gave the Kurdish forces four days to integrate into the central state. The rapid government advances and the apparent withdrawal of U.S. support for the SDF represent the largest shift in control in Syria since rebels ousted Bashar al-Assad 13 months ago.
A U.S. official also said that about 200 low-level ISIS fighters escaped from Shaddadi prison in Syria, though many were recaptured by Syrian government forces.
There are currently more than 10,000 ISIS members and thousands of women and children with ties to the group being held in Syrian prisons.
