ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – Iraq's National Security Service chief is urging the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) to swiftly transfer nearly 1,900 Iraqi Islamic State (ISIS) members detained in Syria’s al-Hol camp’s prison to Baghdad, warning that inaction could lead to a major security breakdown in the region.

“We need a swift initiative from the SDF,” said Abdul Karim Abdul Fadel, known as Abu Ali al-Basri, head of Iraq’s National Security Service (NSS). “It’s necessary to avoid a security collapse in Syria, ease the responsibility on the SDF, and protect regional stability.”

In an interview with the state-run al-Sabah newspaper, Basri warned that ISIS is actively planning an attack on al-Hol, the detention camp in northeastern Syria that holds thousands of former ISIS fighters from various nationalities.

 He said the group aims to free its incarcerated members and reconstitute its ranks. “They’re trying to attack the prison and free their fighters,” he said. “That camp contains about 1,900 Iraqis linked to ISIS. If they get out, the consequences will be severe.”

While acknowledging the critical role the SDF has played in limiting ISIS activity on Syrian territory, Basri stressed the need for closer coordination. He warned that Iraq cannot continue bearing the weight of regional security challenges alone.

“We know everything about them, we monitor them, even beyond our borders, but the continued presence of Iraqi detainees there is a pressure point that must be resolved,” he said.

Basri said the Iraqi intelligence service has deep insight into the inner workings of ISIS, enabling it to monitor the group’s movements and operations closely. He emphasized that despite ISIS’s desire to demonstrate its potency, its presence inside Iraq has been reduced to scattered remnants with limited capability.

“Although they are limited in number, they try to assert their presence by planning threats outside their areas after losing fixed support bases within Iraq,” he said.

He added that the group is no longer capable of carrying out sustained operations within Iraqi territory and that its remaining elements face constant pressure from Iraqi security forces. “They’ve lost their mobility and their hope,” he said. “They cannot rely on any stable environment or support base here anymore.”

Basri praised the coordination between Iraq and regional forces such as the SDF but insisted that the time had come for action.

“This is not just about Iraq,” he said. “It’s about ensuring that Syria doesn’t become a renewed staging ground for terrorism. Returning our detainees will allow us to contain and neutralize the threat more effectively.”

He concluded by reaffirming Iraq’s readiness to take full responsibility for its nationals detained abroad and emphasized the country’s capacity to prosecute and manage these individuals through its legal and security systems. “We are prepared,” al-Basri said. “But we need our partners in the region to act, before it’s too late.”