ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – The US National Counterterrorism Center Director Joe Kent on Tuesday said that he has been in Baghdad to support the ongoing transfer of Islamic State (ISIS)-affiliated detainees from Syria to Iraqi prisons.

The US and Iraq have been cooperating to transfer some 7,000 ISIS-affiliated individuals from Syrian prisons to secure areas in Iraq, to prevent security breaches amid the instability in Syria.

“In highly productive meetings with Iraqi intelligence and counterterrorism leaders this week, including National Security Advisor [Qasim al-Araji], the Iraqi Ministry of Defense ... and the Iraqi Counter Terrorism Service ... we discussed our continued fight to defeat ISIS,” Kent said in an X post.

The official added that the American counterterrorism center is “providing direct support, IDing high value ISIS prisoners to ensure the worst of the worst are transferred securely and face justice,” thanking the Iraqi government for their cooperation in this “important mission.”

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, previously held by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), house tens of thousands of ISIS members and their families, raising concerns about a potential reemergence of the terror group amid the instability.

A 15-day ceasefire was reached between the Syrian army and the SDF, with the Syrian defense ministry saying the truce extension was aimed at facilitating the prisoner transfer.

Less than two weeks before his visit to Iraq, Kent met with US Special Envoy for Iraq Mark Savaya, and the US' Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, where they discussed “the importance of maintaining and building on the Iraqi government's efforts over the past year to secure borders, fight smuggling and corruption, and strengthen state authority,” according to a statement from Savaya.

“There is an urgent need to disarm Iranian-backed militias, and under [President Donald Trump’s] leadership, the US is committed to working closely with our Iraqi partners to advance this cause, support regional stability, and eliminate the threat of ISIS once and for all,” said Kent.