Islamic State detainees moved from Syria to Iraq: What is the US trying to prevent?

Children and women, relatives of suspected Islamic State jihadists, are seen inside Al-Hol camp in the desert region of Syria's northeastern Hasakeh province on January 21, 2026. (Photo by OMAR HAJ KADOUR / AFP)

The US military has started transferring Islamic State detainees from Syria to Iraq as Syrian government forces advance into former Kurdish areas, raising prison security concerns. About 150 IS members have been moved, with up to 7,000 transfers possible.

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The US military has begun transferring members of the Islamic State group from Syria to Iraq, amid shifting control on the ground and renewed concerns over prison security in northeast Syria.

The move comes as Syrian government forces advance into areas previously controlled by Kurdish fighters, bringing them closer to detention centres holding thousands of IS members.

Why the transfers are happening now

Thousands of Islamic State fighters are currently held in prisons and camps across northeast Syria. These facilities were set up after years of fighting between the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces and IS.

In recent days, Syrian government forces loyal to President Ahmad al-Sharaa have captured large areas once controlled by the SDF. They have also taken over key detention sites, including al-Hol camp and Shaddadeh prison.

Syrian authorities said around 120 inmates escaped from Shaddadeh prison near the Iraqi border earlier this week, although most have since been recaptured.

With government forces now close to several prisons and camps, the United States has moved to relocate detainees it considers highly dangerous.

US confirms start of transfers

The US Central Command said the transfer process began on Wednesday.

So far, about 150 Islamic State members have been moved from Syria to secure locations in Iraq. US officials said up to 7,000 detainees could eventually be transferred to Iraqi-run facilities.

An Iraqi intelligence general told Associated Press that Iraq received the first batch of detainees on Wednesday night.

“They will be interrogated and then put on trial. All of them are commanders in IS and are considered highly dangerous,” the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

He added that the detainees are of various nationalities, including around 240 Tunisians and others from Tajikistan and Kazakhstan.

Thousands still held in Syria

Over the past decade, fighting between IS and the SDF led to the capture of thousands of militants from across the world.

According to a US State Department report, around 9,000 IS fighters remain in detention facilities controlled by the SDF. This includes about 1,600 Iraqis and 1,800 foreign nationals from outside Syria and Iraq.

The largest prison is Gweiran, also known as Panorama, in Hassakeh, which has held about 4,500 detainees.

Other prisons include Shaddadeh near the Iraqi border, al-Aqtan near Raqqa, Cherkin in Qamishli, and Derik near the borders with Iraq and Turkey.

Despite recent fighting, Syrian officials said no large-scale escapes have been reported apart from the Shaddadeh incident.

Camps holding women and children

Alongside the prisons, tens of thousands of women and children linked to IS have been held in camps.

After IS was defeated in Syria in 2019, the SDF transferred families of fighters to al-Hol camp near Iraq. At its peak, the camp housed about 73,000 people.

Syrian troops are now in full control of al-Hol. Its population has dropped to around 24,000 after some countries repatriated their citizens.

A smaller group of about 2,500 people remains in Roj camp near the Syrian border with Turkey and Iraq. This includes Shamima Begum, who travelled from Britain as a teenager to join IS nearly 11 years ago.

For years, al-Hol has been viewed as a potential breeding ground for future extremism, with IS sleeper cells accused of intimidating women who tried to leave the group’s ideology behind.

The legacy and the risk

The Islamic State declared a caliphate across parts of Syria and Iraq in 2014, drawing extremists from around the world.

From its territory, IS planned attacks globally and carried out widespread atrocities. These included the enslavement of thousands of Yazidi women and girls, public executions, amputations, stonings, and killings of gay men.

Although IS lost its territory in 2019, the group has continued to operate through sleeper cells.

US and Iraqi officials fear that any mass prison break could allow experienced fighters to rejoin these networks and launch new attacks.

What happens next

Syrian authorities joined the US-led coalition against IS in late 2025 and have said they are ready to take over camp and prison management. They insist they remain committed to fighting extremism.

For now, the US-backed transfer to Iraq is aimed at preventing further escapes as control over northeast Syria continues to shift.

But with thousands of detainees still in custody and regional tensions rising, the long-term future of these prisons and camps remains uncertain.