ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani on Tuesday said that a recent decision to receive Islamic State (ISIS) affiliated prisoners from Syria is an "Iraqi decision" to protect local, regional, and international security.

Sudani's remarks came during a meeting with Jordanian Ambassador to Iraq Maher Salem Tarawneh, where he reaffirmed Baghdad's commitment to the "security, unity, and stability of Syrian territory," read a statement from Sudani's office.

The Iraqi premier further asserted that the transfer of ISIS-affiliated prisoners from Syria "was an Iraqi decision made to preserve national, regional, and international security," amid security woes rising from a potential resurgence of the extremist group in the wake of the latest developments in Syria.

A violent offensive by the Syrian Arab Army on Rojava (northeast Syria) last month presented a major threat of ISIS members taking advantage of the security vacuum to escape facilities.

Baghdad is coordinating with Washington to transfer some 7,000 ISIS prisoners from facilities in Syria to secure areas in Iraq, amid the uncertainties in Syria after government-aligned factions took control of key detention sites from the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

Damascus-affiliated factions have taken control of the al-Shaddadi prison and al-Hol camp in Hasaka, as well as al-Aqtan prison in Raqqa. The three sites, previously held by the SDF, house tens of thousands of ISIS members and their families, raising concerns about a potential reemergence of the group amid the instability.

Sudani called on other relevant countries to "to cooperate on this matter, and repatriate their nationals among the imprisoned terrorists," the statement further noted.

Saad Maan, head of Iraq’s Security Media Cell, told state media on Sunday that the transferred prisoners are held in “fortified precautionary centers equipped with all approved protection and security measures,” and that the cases will be purely handled by Iraq’s judiciary without any outside influence.

Iraq's Security Media Cell on Saturday announced that it has so far received 2,250 following the transfer agreement with the Kurdish-led forces.

The risk of ISIS remnants exploiting the Iraq-Syria border area has long been noted, with authorities having endeavored to secure crossing points and manage cross-border traffic.

About 80 percent of a concrete wall stretching roughly 600 kilometers along the border has been completed as part of a multi-layered defense system that includes barbed wire, deep trenches, and thermal cameras.