Iraqi PM says transfer of ISIS detainees from Syria temporary, aimed at regional security
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani said on Sunday that the transfer of Islamic State (ISIS) detainees from Syria to Iraq is a temporary measure aimed at safeguarding Iraq’s national security and regional stability.
On Saturday, two Iraqi security officials confirmed that the process of transferring hundreds of ISIS detainees from Syria to Iraq had begun.
Al-Sudani stressed that countries concerned must take responsibility for their citizens who are members of ISIS, receive them from detention, and subject them to fair trials, according to Iraq’s official news agency (INA).
A security official said the transfer operation is being carried out by U.S. forces, both by land and air.
The first batch arrived a few days ago from a prison in Hasakah, northeastern Syria, and included 150 detainees, among them senior ISIS figures and European nationals.
A second official revealed that the detainees—who hold various nationalities, including Iraqi and European—will be distributed among at least three prisons inside Iraq.
The transfer operation is expected to continue for several days.
Last Thursday, U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced that foreign fighters affiliated with ISIS would be temporarily detained in Iraq.