The U.S. military announced on Wednesday the relocation of 150 Islamic State detainees from a detention center in Hasakah, Syria, to a secure site in Iraq. This operation follows rapid developments in northeast Syria, where the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have experienced significant territorial setbacks, raising concerns about the security of approximately a dozen prisons and detention camps previously under their control.
In an official statement, the military indicated that the transfer was facilitated in close coordination with regional allies, notably the Iraqi government. The plan envisions the potential movement of up to 7,000 ISIS detainees from Syrian to Iraqi custody, signaling a substantial shift in the handling of detainees linked to the Islamic State.
U.S. Admiral Brad Cooper, who commands U.S. forces in the Middle East, emphasized the importance of this collaboration and expressed gratitude for Iraq's role in ensuring the continued defeat of ISIS.
These developments coincide with a recently declared ceasefire between the Syrian government and Kurdish forces, wherein the Syrian regime has regained control over significant areas in the northeast. The Syrian government has challenged the Kurdish forces to integrate into the central state within a four-day period, a move the United States has urged the Kurdish-led forces to accept.
The swift advances by the Syrian government and the apparent withdrawal of U.S. backing for the SDF mark the most considerable territorial shifts since the initial rebel expulsion of Bashar al-Assad's forces over a year ago.