Summary

Iraq says it has received more than 5,000 ISIL-linked detainees transferred from Syrian prisons and detention centres, although the Iraqi foreign minister put the figure closer to 3,000 and said transfers are ongoing. The Justice Ministry reported 5,064 transfers, noting that over 3,000 were Syrian nationals and at least 270 were Iraqi; the detainees are being held in a single Iraqi prison in a segregated section and will be investigated and prosecuted under Iraqi law. Baghdad says the transfers were carried out at the request of the US-led coalition, which has been moving thousands of suspected ISIL members out of Kurdish-led SDF facilities as control of many prisons shifted to the Syrian government amid recent clashes, escapes and a subsequent ceasefire.

Iraq is discussing repatriation of foreign nationals and has asked for more financial assistance to manage the intake, while the coalition reportedly covers detainee rations. The transfers have prompted concerns about possible mistreatment—lawyers for French suspects have alleged abuse in Iraqi facilities—and over a potential ISIL resurgence as US forces scale back their presence in Syria. US commanders have said facilitating secure transfers is critical to preventing mass breakouts, and recent developments include the Syrian government taking control of strategic sites such as the al-Tanf base. The changes follow political and security shifts in the region, including a reported move to work with Damascus as a main partner against ISIL, as reported by Al Jazeera

This story has also been reported by: New York Times