US Begins Transfer of IS Detainees from Syria to Iraq

WASHINGTON: The United States on Wednesday launched an operation that could eventually transfer up to 7,000 detainees allegedly linked to the Islamic State (IS) group from Syria to neighbouring Iraq, the US military said. The operation began with the relocation of 150 suspected fighters and aims to ensure detainees “remain in secure detention facilities,” according to US Central Command (CENTCOM).

The move is being carried out in close coordination with regional partners, including the Iraqi government.

CENTCOM commander Admiral Brad Cooper said the secure and orderly transfer of IS detainees is essential to preventing potential prison breakouts that could threaten US and regional security. The development follows a deal reached on Sunday between Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa and Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) chief Mazloum Abdi, which included a ceasefire and provisions for integrating the Kurdish-led administration into the Syrian state.

Under the agreement, the Syrian government would assume responsibility for prisoners accused of IS affiliation. Thousands of IS suspects are currently held in seven prisons in northeast Syria, while tens of thousands of their suspected family members remain in the Al-Hol and Roj camps.

The United States, which led the international coalition backing Kurdish forces against IS, said earlier this week that its alliance with the SDF has largely run its course years after the group’s territorial defeat. Washington has since expressed support for Syria’s new Islamist-led authorities, who are seeking to reassert control nationwide after years of conflict.

Ceasefire Under Strain

Meanwhile, Syria’s government accused the Kurdish-led SDF of killing seven soldiers in a drone strike on Wednesday, an allegation the SDF denied. Damascus described the incident as a dangerous escalation that could undermine the ceasefire, saying the soldiers were targeted while securing a captured military base containing explosives. The SDF rejected the claim, saying no drone strike took place and that the explosion occurred while Syrian forces were moving explosives. It accused the Syrian army of violating the truce with attacks in several areas.

After days of rapid advances, the Syrian government announced on Tuesday that it had reached an understanding with the SDF on a four-day ceasefire and a roadmap for integration into the central state. It warned that failure to comply could lead to an assault on the last two major cities still under SDF control.

The government’s push against the SDF threatens years of Kurdish de facto autonomy in northeast Syria and carries major implications for Syria’s relations with the United States and Turkiye, as well as for the future of thousands of detained Islamist militants.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, a key ally of President Ahmed al-Sharaa, said on Wednesday that the SDF — which Ankara considers a terrorist organisation — must disarm and disband to avoid further bloodshed.