Transfer of ISIS Prisoners from Syria to Iraq Significantly Slowed Down

According to a report by Reuters news agency, the transfer process of prisoners affiliated with the ISIS group from Syria to Iraq has significantly slowed in recent months; a measure that was supposed to be carried out within the framework of security cooperation between Baghdad and Damascus.

Insider sources have stated that this delay is mainly due to logistical challenges, security concerns, and Iraq’s requests for other countries to take back their citizens. Iraqi and Syrian officials had previously stated that the goal of this transfer was to more effectively control ISIS prisoners and prevent escapes or the organization of new attacks.

According to Iraqi judicial and security officials and Western diplomats, approximately 130 Iraqi prisoners and nearly 400 foreign prisoners have so far been transferred to Iraqi centers; while the initial US military estimate anticipated the transfer of about seven thousand individuals in a short period. After more than a week, the number of transferred prisoners has reached around 500.

The Iraqi government has requested the United States to slow down the transfer process to allow sufficient time for discussions with the prisoners’ countries of origin and to prepare additional facilities. Meanwhile, some Western governments have also expressed concerns about repatriating their citizens who had joined ISIS.

This operation began following the rapid collapse of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in northeastern Syria on January 21; an event that increased concerns about the security of prisons and camps holding ISIS detainees. The Al-Hol camp, located along the Syria-Iraq border, remains one of the potential centers of security threats.

Reports indicate that the SDF forces retreated from the Al-Hol camp without coordinating with Syrian authorities; a camp where mostly women and children of former ISIS members are detained. After a clash with the Syrian army, Syrian government forces took full control of the camp and the surrounding areas.