US Moves ISIS Prisoners to Iraq After Syria-Kurdish Fighting

Jan. 21, 2026, 5:34 PM UTC

The US will transfer as many as 7,000 detainees linked to Islamic State from Syria to Iraq, amid concerns that recent clashes between Syrian and Kurdish fighters could lead to their escape.

The US military has already moved 150 alleged Islamic State fighters to Iraqi-controlled facilities, US Central Command said in a statement on Wednesday. Moving them is “critical to preventing a breakout that would pose a direct threat to the United States and regional security,” Central Command Commander Admiral Brad Cooper said.

The statement didn’t mention a recent outbreak of fighting between the new Syrian government’s armed forces and ...

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