Islamic State Militants Shifted From Syria To Face Terror Trials In Iraq Under US-Brokered Deal

Last Updated:January 25, 2026, 18:20 IST

Iraq will prosecute IS militants transferred from Syria under a US-brokered deal, amid security concerns after Syrian forces took control of al-Hol camp and Shaddadeh prison.

Reuters image used for representational purpose only

Iraq will prosecute Islamic State (IS) militants being transferred from detention facilities in neighbouring Syria under a US-brokered arrangement, Baghdad announced on Sunday.

The statement from Iraq’s Supreme Judicial Council followed a high-level meeting involving senior security and political officials, amid the ongoing transfer of around 9,000 IS detainees who have been held in Syria since the group’s territorial defeat in 2019.

The transfers gained urgency after Syria’s new government forces last month ousted Kurdish-led fighters from large parts of northeastern Syria—areas they had controlled for years and where they guarded prisons and camps holding IS detainees. The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a key US ally in the fight against IS, withdrew from several positions under a ceasefire agreement.

Syrian troops subsequently took control of the sprawling al-Hol camp, which houses thousands of people, mostly women and children linked to IS militants. They also seized a prison in the northeastern town of Shaddadeh, where some detainees reportedly escaped during the fighting. Syrian state media later said many of those escapees were recaptured.

The clashes raised fears that IS sleeper cells could be reactivated and that detainees might flee amid the instability. Under an initial agreement with the Kurds, the Syrian government said it would assume responsibility for IS prisoners. However, Iraqi officials have expressed deep concern that escaped militants could regroup and threaten Iraq’s security, particularly along the porous Syria-Iraq border.

Once transferred to Iraq, detainees accused of terrorism will be investigated by Iraqi security forces and tried in domestic courts, the Supreme Judicial Council said.

According to Iraqi security officials speaking to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity, the United States military began the transfer process on Friday. A further 125 IS prisoners were moved on Sunday, bringing the total transferred so far to 275. Officials said the operation has been slow as detainees are being transported by air.

Both Damascus and Washington have welcomed Baghdad’s willingness to accept and prosecute the prisoners.

Iraq’s parliament is expected to meet later on Sunday to discuss developments in Syria, where Iraqi authorities are also seeking to strengthen their presence along the border.

Fighting between Syrian government forces and the SDF has largely subsided under a ceasefire that was recently extended. Syria’s Defence Ministry said the truce was prolonged to facilitate the US-led transfer of IS detainees.

Although IS was defeated militarily in Iraq in 2017 and in Syria two years later, the group continues to operate sleeper cells that carry out deadly attacks in both countries. During the battle against IS, thousands of militants and tens of thousands of women and children linked to them were detained in prisons and camps such as al-Hol.

Last year, American forces and their SDF partners detained more than 300 IS militants in Syria and killed over 20 others. In December, an IS ambush killed two US soldiers and an American civilian interpreter in Syria, underscoring the group’s continued threat in the region.

News world Islamic State Militants Shifted From Syria To Face Terror Trials In Iraq Under US-Brokered Deal

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