US forces have transferred 150 Islamic State (IS) detainees from northeast Syria to Iraq, as Washington and Baghdad consider relocating up to 7,000 prisoners amid shifting security control in Syria.
The move follows advances by the new Syrian government under President Ahmed al Sharaa, which has clashed with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). The SDF’s partial withdrawal has raised concerns over prisons and camps holding IS members and their families.
Key developments
• More than 10,000 IS fighters remain detained in Syria, alongside thousands of women and children linked to the group.
• US officials said around 200 low-level IS detainees escaped Shaddadi prison; many were later recaptured.
• The transfer from Hasakah to Iraq was coordinated with Baghdad, according to Admiral Brad Cooper, head of US forces in the Middle East.
• US Central Command said Cooper spoke with President al Sharaa to urge restraint.
Damascus has announced a ceasefire with the SDF and given it four days to integrate into state structures. The SDF long enjoyed the backing of the US as a bulwark against IS forces in Syria, but that support appears to have fallen away with the rise of a new Syrian government. US envoy Tom Barrack said the SDF’s security role against IS has “largely expired” as Syrian forces assume responsibility.
ℹ️ Sky News
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