U.S. Completes Transfer of Over 5,700 ISIS Detainees from Syria to Iraq
CENTCOM said it completed a 23-day mission transferring more than 5,700 ISIS detainees from northeastern Syria to Iraq. Baghdad confirmed 5,064 are now in one facility undergoing investigation and trial under Iraqi law.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - The U.S. Central Command announced Friday that it has completed a major transfer operation moving thousands of suspected ISIS fighters from detention facilities in Western Kurdistan (northeastern Syria) to custody in Iraq, in what officials described as a significant step toward strengthening regional security.
In a statement issued on CENTCOM’s official X account, they said the operation concluded after a nighttime flight on Feb. 12, following a mission that began on Jan. 21 and lasted twenty-three days. According to the statement, more than 5,700 adult male ISIS fighters were transported from detention facilities in Syria to Iraqi custody to help ensure they remain secure in detention.
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) February 13, 2026
CENTCOM Commander Brad Cooper said: “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. We appreciate Iraq’s leadership and recognition that transferring the detainees is essential to regional security.”
The mission was planned, coordinated, and executed by US and coalition forces under the Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve.
CJTF-OIR Commander Kevin Lambert said: “I am extremely proud of the coalition’s exceptional work. The successful execution of this orderly and secure transfer operation will help prevent an ISIS resurgence in Syria.”
CENTCOM noted that CJTF-OIR was established in 2014 and has advised, assisted, and enabled partner forces in the fight against the ISIS network, which was territorially defeated in 2019.
Ahmed Laibi, spokesperson for the Iraqi Ministry of Justice, said a total of 5,064 detainees affiliated with ISIS have been transferred from Syria to Iraq following the completion of government procedures, according to statements carried by the Iraqi News Agency.
He said the transferred group includes more than 270 Iraqis, over 3,000 Syrians, and detainees of other nationalities. All are being held in a single prison facility where they are undergoing investigation and trial under Iraqi law.
Laibi added that Iraq’s role in holding the detainees comes at the request of the Global Coalition Against Daesh, of which Iraq is a key member.
With the transfers completed, Iraqi authorities and the US-led coalition say the detainees are now under secure custody as legal proceedings move forward under Iraqi law.