ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - Iraq has completed about 80 percent of a concrete wall along its border with Syria as part of ramped-up security measures aimed at preventing infiltration by Islamic State (ISIS) militants, a military spokesman said on Saturday.

Factions affiliated with the Syrian government have taken control of the al-Shaddadi prison and al-Hol camp in Hasakah, as well as al-Aqtan prison in Raqqa. The three sites house tens of thousands of ISIS members and their families, raising concerns about a potential reemergence of the terror group amid the instability.

In this context, the Iraqi government has taken strict security measures, including the mobilization and reinforcement of Iraqi army units along the Syrian border, which stretches for approximately 600 kilometers.

Sabah al-Numan, spokesperson for Iraq’s commander-in-chief of the armed forces, informed state media on Saturday that Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani has ordered the completion of the wall, which he said is nearing its final stages.

The barrier is equipped with thermal cameras and forms part of a broader system of fortifications along the Iraqi-Syrian border.

Numan said the concrete wall is “one of three main defensive layers separating the two countries, alongside barbed wire fencing and a deep trench.” He added that the prime minister recently inspected the border area and existing fortifications on the ground.

“The Iraqi borders are fully secured, not only with Syria but with all neighboring countries,” Numan said, noting that instability inside Syria has required additional focus on the western frontier.

He claimed that Iraqi authorities anticipate no risk of militant infiltration, even at an individual level, due to heavy security deployments and layered defenses.

The US Central Command (CENTCOM) on Wednesday announced that the US has transported 150 ISIS members, held at a detention facility in Hasakah, to a secure location in Iraq. “Ultimately, up to 7,000 ISIS detainees could be transferred from Syria to Iraqi-controlled facilities,” CENTCOM said.

Numan said the government’s decision to transfer suspected ISIS detainees from Syria to Iraq was driven by security concerns, noting that many are senior militants wanted by Iraqi courts. He said holding them in Syria posed risks of escape, while their transfer allows cases to be handled under Iraqi law.

The spokesperson added that the move will be carried out under a coordinated security plan with the justice ministry, stressing that Iraqi prisons are highly fortified and equipped to detain high-risk terrorism suspects.