ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - The US army on Wednesday said it launched a mission to transfer Islamic State (ISIS) detainees in Syria to neighboring Iraq, with 7,000 detainees included in the campaign, amid instability as Damascus-linked militants attack Kurdish-led forces in the north. 

“The transfer mission began while US forces successfully transported 150 ISIS fighters held at a detention facility in Hasakah, Syria, to a secure location in Iraq,” the army’s Central Command (CENTCOM) said.

Up to 7,000 ISIS detainees could be transferred as part of the mission, according to CENTCOM. 

"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 CENTCOM commander Admiral Brad Cooper.

It comes amid reports of mass prison breaks in Syria in facilities housing veteran ISIS fighters after the Syrian Arab Army and its affiliated factions attacked Kurdish-led forces guarding the facilities.

Attacks by Damascus-linked factions on the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) are ongoing despite a Tuesday ceasefire.

The Kurdish-led SDF was the main force on the ground that territorially defeated ISIS in Syria in 2019, with the assistance of a US-led global coalition. 

But Washington is pulling back support for the SDF. On Tuesday, US Special Envoy for Syria Tom Barrack stated that that the need for the Kurdish-led SDF has now “expired” with Damascus now allied to Washington.

Iraq has also voiced significant concern over the spillover of veteran ISIS fighters into its territory. Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani on Wednesday visited the border with Syria to oversee efforts to strengthen security capabilities in the face of the growing threat of ISIS.

American and partnered forces detained at least 300 ISIS operatives in Syria in 2025, according to CENTCOM, with 20 more killed during the same period.