Thousands of detainees suspected of links to Islamic State have been moved from Syria into Iraq as part of a coordinated US-backed security operation, according to multiple reports.
The relocation effort began last month and could ultimately see as many as 7,000 suspects transferred to Iraqi detention facilities.
An Iraqi official told AFP that about 4,500 detainees have already crossed the border. Those being moved include Iraqi citizens, Syrians, and foreign nationals who were previously held by Kurdish-led forces after being captured during operations against Islamic State, which surged across Iraq and Syria in 2014.
The transfers follow a broader political and military shift in northeastern Syria, where Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces reached an agreement with the Syrian government, allowing Damascus to regain control over key areas. The arrangement came as US forces gradually reduced their presence in the region.
Tensions escalated in the weeks leading up to the deal, with heavy fighting eventually giving way to a ceasefire announced by Syria’s Defense Ministry in late January. Shortly after, unrest broke out inside detention sites, including a mass escape from one facility, increasing pressure to relocate detainees to more secure locations in Iraq.
Iraqi authorities say each detainee will undergo legal investigation under Iraqi law, with case reviews expected to take between four and six months depending on complexity. Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani described the transfers as necessary for both regional and global security, and urged other countries to take responsibility for repatriating their nationals currently being held on terrorism-related charges.
