Iraq Receives 5,000 ISIS Fighters From Syrian Prisons
Iraq has received close to 5,000 ISIS prisoners since the start of a US military campaign to relocate the extremist group’s fighters, of whom tens of thousands were previously held in Kurdish-run facilities in northern Syria.
"The transfer of terrorist prisoners from Syria to Iraq is ongoing in coordination with the global coalition, and they are being held in Iraqi prisons," Sabah al-Numan, spokesman for the commander in chief of the Iraqi army, told Rudaw on 11 February. Numan went on to say that the country’s legal system has begun taking judicial measures "against those individuals who committed crimes against the Iraqi people."
Nearly 5,000 are now in Iraqi facilities, according to the latest data from the Iraqi Joint Operations Command.
The spokesman added that trials will continue “to ensure they receive their just punishment for what they have committed against Iraqis," adding that "all criminal and terrorist acts that were committed will be investigated."
Ali Dhia, assistant head of the judiciary-linked National Center for International Judicial Cooperation (NCIJC), said among the ISIS members were those who took part in the genocide against the Yezidi minority in Iraq, which began in 2014.
Last month, the Syrian army launched a major assault on Kurdish-held parts of northern and eastern Syria, seizing key oil fields and cities from the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). During the assault, SDF forces were no longer able to hold Hasakah’s Shaddaddi Prison.
After the facility fell to Jolani's Syrian army, some 1,500 ISIS prisoners escaped. The SDF, once considered a major US ally, accused Washington of ignoring distress calls for help. It said a US military base was only two kilometers away from the prison.
The Syrian government also entered the Al-Hawl Camp, previously run by the SDF, which held tens of thousands of ISIS militants and their families, who also pose a serious security threat.
The camp was emptied by Syrian forces. Footage showed scores of prisoners flooding out of Al-Hawl. Syrian Kurdish officials warned afterwards that the government assault risked a major ISIS resurgence.
A day later, the US military announced a campaign to “transfer” ISIS fighters to Iraqi facilities. Washington said up to 7,000 ISIS members would be relocated, yet thousands more remain on the loose. Since then, Iraqi officials have warned of increased ISIS activity.
In late January, the SDF and Syrian government reached a deal to halt hostilities and implement a March 2025 agreement, which the two sides have been in dispute about for nearly a year. As part of this deal, the SDF must integrate into the Syrian army and security apparatus.
Syrian security forces have entered the cities of Qamishli and Hasakah. Ain al-Arab (Kobane), still predominantly held by Kurdish forces, is under siege.
The Kurdish group wanted to merge into the Syrian army as a bloc, while Damascus was demanding a complete dissolution and conscription on an individual basis.
The deal, which ended recent hostilities, calls for the creation of a division under the Syrian Defense Ministry, consisting of three SDF brigades.
Yet, so far, the merger has not physically begun – only joint patrols between Syrian security forces and the Kurdish Asayish (SDF-linked internal police force). The SDF has begun moving heavy military equipment out of some major city centers. It remains unclear how the merger will take place, as tensions are high.
Top officials have admitted that Damascus forces have been massacring Kurds as well as religious minorities:
'The president and CENTCOM told the Syrian security forces stop. We saw massacres, beheadings, executions of entire Kurdish families. These are the kinds of acts that will destroy the legitimacy Al-Sharaa is trying to build'@nadinemaenza on #MiddleEastNow with @natasharaquel_ pic.twitter.com/p2HZ1Wi8xg
— i24NEWS English (@i24NEWS_EN) February 11, 2026
The Syrian army is made up of many extremist, ISIS-linked factions with a history of war crimes and persecution of Kurds.
During the latest assault in the north of the country, Syrian troops carried out indiscriminate shelling and committed war crimes against Kurdish fighters, particularly the female soldiers who play a prominent role in the SDF and allied groups.