The US Central Command (CENTCOM) said on Wednesday it has begun moving ISIS prisoners from northeastern Syria to Iraqi-controlled facilities as part of a broader effort to prevent the terror group’s resurgence and maintain long-term security in the region.
CENTCOM said U.S. forces transported 150 ISIS fighters held at a detention center in Hasakah, Syria, to a secure location in Iraq, potentially transferring up to 7,000 prisoners.
“We are working closely with regional partners, including the Iraqi government, and we sincerely appreciate their role in ensuring the lasting defeat of ISIS,” said Admiral Brad Cooper, CENTCOM commander. “Facilitating the orderly and safe transfer of ISIS detainees is critical to preventing an outbreak that would pose a direct threat to the United States and regional security.”
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A view of the al-Hol camp, where families linked to the Islamic State group are being held in Hasakah, Syria, Wednesday, January 21, 2026. (Izz Aldien Alqasem/Anadolu via Getty Images)
The announcement comes a day after Tom Barrack, the US ambassador to Turkey and special envoy to Syria, said Damascus is ready to take on security responsibilities, including control of ISIS detention centers and camps.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a Report 2025 to Congress that approximately 8,400 ISIS-affiliated prisoners from more than 70 countries are being held in detention centers operated by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), of which al-Hol camp is the largest.
Barrack helped broker a fragile four-day ceasefire agreement between Syria’s new interim government, led by Ahmed al-Sharaa, and the Kurdish-led SDF on Tuesday, after escalating clashes threatened to escalate further.
The US official said the Trump administration is not seeking a long-term military presence in Syria, but instead emphasized the need for a continued focus on defeating remaining ISIS elements.
President Ahmed al-Sharaa meets with US Special Envoy for Syria Thomas Barrack in Damascus, Sunday, January 18, 2026. (Syrian Presidency/Handout/Anadolu via Getty Images)
“The deal integrates SDF fighters into the national army (as individuals, which is still one of the most controversial issues), transfers key infrastructure (oil fields, dams, border crossings) and transfers control of ISIS prisons and camps to Damascus,” Barrack wrote on X.
“This creates a unique window for the Kurds: integration into the new Syrian state provides full citizenship rights (including for those who were previously stateless), recognition as an integral part of Syria, constitutional protection for the Kurdish language and culture (e.g. teaching Kurdish, celebrating Nawruz as a national holiday) and participation in governance – far beyond the semi-autonomy that the SDF enjoyed amid the chaos of the civil war,” he added.
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Hol Camp, where families linked to the Islamic State group are being held in Hasakah, Syria, Wednesday, January 21, 2026. (Izz Aldien Alqasem/Anadolu via Getty Images)
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Syria’s Interior Ministry said Monday that security forces had recaptured 81 of the 120 ISIS prisoners who escaped from al-Shaddadi prison in rural Hasakah and were continuing efforts to track down the remaining refugees.
The interim government and the SDF have since exchanged responsibility for the escape, which took place amid heightened tensions over security arrangements in the region.
