The United States has moved nearly 6,000 ISIS detainees from north-east Syria to Iraq, in what officials describe as a preventive effort to reduce the risk of a large-scale prison escape during a period of mounting instability.

The transfer was confirmed on 13 February 2026, when US military officials announced that the detainees — previously held in facilities guarded by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) — had been relocated into Iraqi custody.

Officials stressed that no mass breakout was underway at the time. However, they said the shifting security landscape in north-east Syria raised enough concern to warrant swift action.

Since the territorial defeat of ISIS in March 2019, thousands of captured fighters have remained in detention across north-east Syria. The facilities, overseen by the SDF with backing from the US-led coalition, have long been described by analysts as overstretched and vulnerable.

Those concerns are not new. In January 2022,ISIS militants launched a coordinated assault on the Ghweiran prison in Hasakahin an attempt to free detainees. The attack sparked days of fighting and underlined how strategically important these prisons remain to the group.

With regional tensions rising again in recent months, US officials warned that any deterioration in guard capacity or prison security could create an opportunity for escape attempts. The prospect of thousands of experienced militants slipping out of custody was viewed as a serious regional threat.

According to statements from the US military, the operation was carried out in coordination with the Iraqi government. The detainees — numbering around 5,700 — were transported from SDF-run facilities in Syria to more secure detention centres in Iraq.

While specific operational details have not been publicly disclosed, officials said the relocation was carefully organised to minimise risk during movement.

The transfer was overseen by the US-led Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve (CJTF-OIR), the coalition body responsible for ongoing counter-ISIS efforts in the region.

Iraqi authorities have since assumed responsibility for the detainees, who will now be processed under Iraqi law. Iraq declared military victory over ISIS in December 2017, but continues to prosecute terrorism cases linked to the group.

Source: International Business Times UK