Headline: US Military Completes High-Stakes Transfer of 5,700 ISIS Detainees from Syria to Iraq
Washington D.C. — US Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed on Friday that it has finalized a massive and sensitive logistical operation to transfer more than 5,700 verified ISIS detainees from holding facilities in northeastern Syria to Iraqi government custody. The mission, which concluded on Feb. 12 following a nighttime airlift, marks a significant shift in the coalition’s detainee management strategy amid growing instability in Syria.
Deep Search: The Operation by the Numbers
The 23-day operation, spearheaded by the Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve (CJTF-OIR), commenced on Jan. 21. It involved the complex transport of adult male fighters—many of whom are considered high-risk combatants—from makeshift prisons run by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
Total Transferred: 5,700+ adult male detainees.
Timeline: Jan. 21 to Feb. 12, 2026.
Logistics: The transfer utilized both ground convoys and air assets, culminating in a final secure flight.
Official Stance: “Job well done to the entire Joint Force team who executed this exceptionally challenging mission… with great focus,” said Adm. Brad Cooper, CENTCOM commander. “We appreciate Iraq’s leadership and recognition that transferring the detainees is essential to regional security.”
Background: Why Now?
The urgency of this transfer stems from a rapidly deteriorating security environment in northeastern Syria. Since the territorial defeat of ISIS in 2019, thousands of fighters have been held in SDF-run facilities that were never designed for long-term maximum security.
Trigger Event: A recent offensive by Syrian government forces into SDF-held territories destabilized the region, raising immediate fears that detention centers could be compromised, leading to mass prison breaks similar to the deadly Ghwayran prison attack in 2022.
Strategic Shift: For years, Western nations have been reluctant to repatriate their own nationals who joined ISIS, leaving the burden on the SDF. This transfer signals a decision by Washington and Baghdad to consolidate these prisoners in Iraq, where the central government has a more established, albeit controversial, judicial and prison infrastructure.
Objections and Concerns
While US and Iraqi military officials frame the transfer as a victory for regional security, the move has drawn sharp criticism from human rights monitors and legal experts.
Judicial Standards: Rights groups, including Human Rights Watch, have long flagged Iraq’s judicial system for its reliance on coerced confessions, lack of due process, and frequent use of the death penalty for terrorism suspects. There are fears that these detainees may face summary trials rather than fair legal proceedings.
Security Risks in Iraq: Critics argue that transferring thousands of hardened fighters to Iraq merely shifts the epicenter of the threat. Iraq’s prisons are notoriously overcrowded and have historically served as recruitment and radicalization hubs for insurgent groups.
Local Anxieties: Sunni communities in western Iraq have expressed concern that the influx of detainees could reignite sectarian tensions or make their provinces targets for ISIS sleeper cells attempting breakout operations.
Maj. Gen. Kevin Lambert, CJTF-OIR commander, pushed back on these concerns, asserting that the “orderly and secure transfer operation will help prevent an ISIS resurgence,” effectively removing a critical vulnerability from the Syrian battlefield.
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