CENTCOM Begins Transfer of ISIS Detainees from Syria to Iraq
CENTCOM said the operation began on Jan. 21, with U.S. forces successfully transporting 150 ISIS fighters from a detention facility in Hasakah, Syria, to a secure location in Iraq.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) has launched a new mission to transfer ISIS detainees from Western Kurdistan (northeastern Syria) to secure facilities in Iraq, in a move aimed at preventing prison breakouts and ensuring the continued defeat of the terrorist group.
In a statement released on Wednesday, CENTCOM said the operation began on Jan. 21, with U.S. forces successfully transporting 150 ISIS fighters from a detention facility in Hasakah, Syria, to a secure location in Iraq. The mission could ultimately see up to 7,000 ISIS detainees transferred to Iraqi-controlled facilities.
“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 CENTCOM Commander Adm. Brad Cooper. “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.”
CENTCOM noted that in 2025 alone, U.S. and partner forces detained more than 300 ISIS operatives in Syria and killed over 20 others, underscoring continued counterterrorism efforts against the group.
The transfer mission comes amid a sharp deterioration in security across Western Kurdistan, particularly around ISIS detention facilities. The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) recently announced a withdrawal from the al-Hol camp, citing mounting security threats and what they described as international indifference toward addressing the ISIS detainee issue.
The incidents coincided with other attacks on ISIS detention facilities in Raqqa and Hasakah, raising fears of a potential reorganization and resurgence of ISIS cells.