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U.S. Begins Moving ISIS Detainees From Syria to Iraq as Control Shifts in Northeast

Baghdad requested the transfers to contain security risks during the handover of prisons and camps.

Syrian government forces with their luggage wait to enter the al-Hol camp in northeastern Syria's Hasakeh province, Syria, Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2026, after the withdrawal of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)
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Syrian govt takes control of camp housing Islamic State group families
People climb over the damaged Al-Rashid Bridge, with some crossing on foot, after it was destroyed as Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces withdrew, a day after Syrian government forces took control of the area on the outskirts of Raqqa, northeastern Syria, Monday, Jan. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)

Overview

  • U.S. Central Command said 150 detainees were flown from Hasakah to secure sites in Iraq, with plans that could relocate up to 7,000.
  • American and Iraqi officials said Iraq proactively offered to receive the prisoners, and Iraqi authorities plan to interrogate and try them under national law.
  • Syrian forces entered the Al-Hol camp after SDF withdrawals, and UNHCR is taking over camp management as aid teams work to restore services amid a volatile security environment.
  • Conflicting reports persist over escapes at Shaddadi prison, with estimates ranging from about 120 to roughly 200, and many reportedly recaptured by government forces.
  • A negotiated handover of the al-Aqtan prison to Syrian troops proceeded as a short truce nears its Saturday deadline, while officials confirmed Europeans were among the first 150 transferred to Iraq.