ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - Iraqi authorities have allegedly transferred 2,000 Syrian soldiers who entered Iraqi territory near the Al-Qaim border following the recent collapse of the Syrian regime, a security source in Anbar province said Tuesday.

The soldiers were reportedly moved to camps set up in advance in the Rutba desert, west of Anbar province, about 300 kilometers (186 miles) from the Jordanian border, the source told The New Region.

The development comes as Syria’s transitional government formally requested that Iraq hand over the soldiers now on its soil. An Iraqi government official confirmed ongoing discussions between Baghdad and Damascus regarding their possible return to Syria.

Last week, a senior official in Iraq’s Joint Operations Command, speaking on condition of anonymity, revealed further details about the Syrian forces.

“The number of Syrian soldiers and officers who crossed into Iraq and surrendered their weapons to the Iraqi military in recent hours has reached approximately 3,500,” the official said. “They have undergone security screening, and tents have been erected near the border to accommodate them, with all necessary provisions like food and water supplied.”

The official noted that the Iraqi government has not yet decided the soldiers’ fate or how they might be repatriated.

“They will likely remain in the camps for several days until the situation stabilizes in Syria, and it becomes clear which authority they can be handed over to,” the official added.

“For now, there is no decision on their future. The Iraqi government is ensuring their protection and providing all necessities, with the Ministry of Migration currently managing the matter,” the official said.

The influx of Syrian military personnel follows intensified instability in Syria after the regime’s recent collapse, leaving Iraqi officials grappling with the soldiers' uncertain status.