The U.S. military began transferring Islamic State prisoners from northeastern Syria to Iraq on Wednesday, amid growing concern that thousands of former fighters and their family members could escape from detention as the Syrian government and Kurdish-led forces vie for control of the area.
The U.S. Central Command, which oversees U.S. military operations in the Middle East, said in a statement that American forces had already transported 150 fighters for the Islamic State, also known as ISIS, from a detention facility in northeastern Syria to an unspecified “secure location in Iraq.” The military said as many as 7,000 detainees could ultimately be moved from Syrian custody to Iraqi-run facilities.
“We are closely coordinating with regional partners, including the Iraqi government, and we sincerely appreciate their role in ensuring the enduring defeat of ISIS,” said Adm. Brad Cooper, the head of U.S. military forces in the Middle East. “Facilitating the orderly and secure transfer of ISIS detainees is critical to preventing a breakout that would pose a direct threat to the United States and regional security.”
The transfer effort reflected growing concern about the security of detention sites in northeastern Syria, which for years have been guarded by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, or S.D.F. The group has come under assault over the past week during a lightning offensive by Syrian government troops.
But over the past two days, fresh bouts of violence have erupted around prisons holding Islamic State detainees as Kurdish forces withdrew and Syrian government forces moved in. As many as 200 detainees escaped from one of those prisons, al-Shaddadi, according to a U.S. military official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. The turmoil stoked fears among U.S. and regional officials of a wider prison break in northeastern Syria.
Under a fragile cease-fire, the S.D.F. has agreed to relinquish control of prisons and other critical infrastructure as part of a long-awaited deal to integrate Kurdish-held regions into the Syrian state.
Despite Washington’s public support for Syria’s new president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, the move appeared to underscore lingering doubts in Washington over the government’s ability to ensure security.
The U.S. military official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the transfers were being carried out urgently, over days rather than weeks, amid concerns about whether Syrian government forces could safely manage the detainees.
For years, the S.D.F. was Washington’s chief ally in Syria, backed by U.S. air power, funding and intelligence as the Kurdish-led militia steered the ground fight against the Islamic State. But on Tuesday, the U.S. special envoy to Syria, Thomas J. Barrack Jr., indicated that Washington no longer needed the group in that role, marking a major shift in American policy.
Euan Ward is a Times reporter covering Lebanon and Syria. He is based in Beirut.
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