Iraq Completes Interrogation of 5,704 ISIS Members Transferred from Syria

Welat TV – Erbil

Iraq’s Supreme Judicial Council announced on Tuesday, September 1, 2026, that it had completed the interrogation phase for a case involving 5,704 suspected members of the Islamic State (ISIS) who were recently transferred from detention facilities in northeastern Syria to Iraqi territory.

Detainees from 67 Nationalities, Including Dangerous Leaders

In a statement, the council said the screening and investigation process revealed that the detainees come from a wide range of backgrounds, representing 67 different nationalities, including 16 Arab, 19 European, and 32 other foreign nationalities.

The investigations also identified individuals considered “highly dangerous” among the detainees, including people who had held prominent leadership positions within ISIS’s military, security, religious, and media structures.

Iraq, Syria Coordinate Release of 457 Syrian Detainees

The Iraqi judiciary also said it had begun coordinating with the Syrian Embassy in Baghdad to arrange the release of 457 Syrian detainees who had been found innocent and against whom there was insufficient conclusive evidence to justify continued judicial proceedings.

The detainees are expected to be formally handed over to Syria once the necessary procedures are completed.

U.S. Plan to Transfer 7,000 Detainees

The judicial developments come as part of a broader joint mission announced by U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) in January. The plan aims to transfer approximately 7,000 ISIS detainees from detention facilities in Hasaka to more secure facilities and locations inside Iraq, with the stated goal of preventing their return to the battlefield.

Closure of al-Hol Camp

In February 2026, the Syrian authorities announced that they had taken control of al-Hol camp, near the Syrian-Iraqi border, which had been under the control of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) since 2015.

The authorities subsequently announced plans to dismantle the camp and close the file after evacuating the remaining families of ISIS members.