Security Source to Kurdistan24: More than 5,000 ISIS Prisoners Transferred to Iraq as Cross-Border Operation Nears Completion

ERBIL(Kurdistan24) - More than 5,000 ISIS prisoners have been transferred from Syria into Iraqi territory as part of a cross-border operation now in its final stage, with completion expected by the end of this week, a senior security source told Kurdistan24.

According to Kurdistan24’s follow-up, the process of transferring ISIS detainees from Syria to Iraq has reached its final phase and is scheduled to conclude entirely by the end of this week. The source said that housing and maintaining the prisoners places a heavy monthly financial burden on Iraq’s state budget.

A high-ranking security source within Iraq’s Joint Operations Command told Kurdistan24 that more than 5,000 prisoners have already been transferred under strict security supervision by Iraqi forces and the international coalition. The source rejected circulating claims that 7,000 prisoners had been moved, stressing that the real figure ranges between 5,000 and 6,000.

Regarding nationality, the source said rumors suggesting large numbers of Iraqi citizens or thousands of Turkish nationals among the detainees are inaccurate, adding that the number of foreign nationals is far lower than what is being reported.

Based on Kurdistan24’s investigations, the daily cost of each ISIS prisoner in Iraq is approximately $10. According to figures from U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), which estimates the number of detainees at nearly 7,000, the daily cost reaches $70,000—meaning Iraq spends about $2.1 million per month on their detention.

Turkish media, however, have revealed different details regarding the transfers, reporting that nearly 2,000 detained militants holding Turkish nationality are being moved from prisons run by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) to Iraq. According to those outlets, the transfers are being carried out under a tripartite security and judicial agreement between Baghdad, Washington, and Ankara. The total number of prisoners slated for transfer is estimated at 7,000, with approximately 30 percent holding Turkish nationality.

It was also reported that Turkish security teams, in coordination with the United States, verified the identities of the detainees through fingerprinting and intelligence screening.

Among those listed for transfer are several senior ISIS leaders, including Ilyas Aydin, known as Abu Ubaida, the so-called “Emir of Istanbul,” one of Türkiye’s most wanted suspects accused of involvement in the 2015 Ankara bombing. Other names on the list include Ilhami Bali and Deniz Buyuk Celebi.

Iraq, Türkiye, and the United States have agreed to file charges of “genocide” and “crimes against humanity” against senior ISIS leaders and operatives. Ankara and Washington have pledged to provide Iraqi courts with all intelligence and evidence. Under the plan, after investigations and preliminary trials are completed in Iraq, the detainees will be transferred to Türkiye to serve their sentences or be retried under Turkish law.

Iraq’s Position

Baghdad continues to call on countries around the world to repatriate their ISIS-affiliated citizens and assume responsibility for them in order to reduce Iraq’s security and legal burden.

The Iraqi parliament is scheduled to hold a special session at 11 a.m. today to discuss the file of ISIS prisoners transferred from Syria to Iraq and the security conditions of detention facilities. According to a statement from the parliament’s media office, the session will be attended by the justice minister, the interior ministry’s intelligence undersecretary, and the deputy commander of Joint Operations. The main purpose of the session is to review the status of the transferred militants and to develop a comprehensive plan to secure the prisons holding them.

Iraq’s Security Media Cell confirmed that the transfer process is ongoing and that more than 4,580 ISIS prisoners have already been moved from Syrian territory into Iraq.

On the international level, Iraq’s Foreign Ministry announced that during the Global Coalition meeting against ISIS in Riyadh, the Iraqi delegation proposed hosting the next coalition meeting in Baghdad, a proposal welcomed by member states. Within the same framework, Iraq urged coalition partners to intensify efforts to uncover the fate of abducted Yazidis.

The Foreign Ministry also emphasized that the transfer of ISIS prisoners from Syria to Iraq was carried out in coordination with coalition partners and is being treated solely as a “temporary measure.”

As the operation nears completion, Iraqi authorities are facing growing security, financial, and legal challenges, while sustained international coordination remains central to determining the future of thousands of ISIS detainees.