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yesterday

Iraq Takes Custody of About 5,000 ISIS Detainees From Syria as U.S.-Backed Transfers Near Completion

Officials say a final group due today could push the total close to 7,000.

Iraqi security forces lead Islamic State militants for questioning, after they were transferred from Syria to Iraq, at Al-Karkh Central Prison in Baghdad, Iraq, Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Hadi Mizban)
Iraqi security forces lead Islamic State militants for questioning, after they were transferred from Syria to Iraq, at Al-Karkh Central Prison in Baghdad, Iraq, Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Hadi Mizban)
Iraqi security forces lead Islamic State militants for questioning, after they were transferred from Syria to Iraq, at Al-Karkh Central Prison in Baghdad, Iraq, Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Hadi Mizban)
An Islamic State militant arrives for questioning, after he was transferred from Syria to Iraq, at Al-Karkh Central Prison in Baghdad, Iraq, Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Hadi Mizban)

Overview

  • Iraqi officials reported 5,046 arrivals as of Wednesday, with sources expecting the operation to wrap up with today's flights.
  • CENTCOM launched the transfers on January 21 to keep high‑risk detainees in secure custody following shifts in control in northeast Syria after an SDF–Damascus deal.
  • The cohort includes nationals from dozens of countries, including Europeans, with Syrians comprising more than half of those moved so far.
  • Detainees are being held in multiple Iraqi prisons under layered security, will face investigations and possible prosecution, and are not slated for facilities in the Kurdistan region.
  • Baghdad is pressing countries to repatriate their citizens, while Amnesty International warns that severe overcrowding and due‑process failures in Iraqi prisons pose serious risks.