The United States military has initiated the transfer of Islamic State group detainees from northeastern Syria to secure facilities in Iraq, a move prompted by shifting control in the region and concerns over potential breakouts.

The operation began after Syrian government forces assumed command of a sprawling camp housing thousands, predominantly women and children, from the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which withdrew as part of a ceasefire agreement.

The initial transfer saw 150 suspected ISIS members moved from Syria’s northeastern province of Hassakeh to "secure locations" in Iraq. US Central Command (CENTCOM) indicated that as many as 7,000 detainees could eventually be relocated to Iraqi-controlled facilities.

Adm. Brad Cooper, CENTCOM commander, emphasised the critical nature of the operation, stating: "Facilitating the orderly and secure transfer of ISIS detainees is critical to preventing a breakout that would pose a direct threat to the United States and regional security." He confirmed the transfer was coordinated with regional partners, including Iraq.

An Iraqi intelligence general, speaking anonymously, confirmed an agreement with the US for the transfer of 7,000 detainees. Iraq received the first batch of 144 individuals on Wednesday night, with subsequent transfers planned by aircraft to Iraqi prisons.

The general noted that the transferred ISIS members represent various nationalities, including approximately 240 Tunisians, alongside individuals from Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, and some Syrians.

The move came after Syrian government forces took control of a sprawling camp, housing thousands of mostly women and children (AP)

"They will be interrogated and then put on trial. All of them are commanders in ISIS and are considered highly dangerous," he added, recalling previous transfers of 3,194 Iraqi and 47 French detainees.

Despite the territorial defeat of the Islamic State group in Iraq in 2017 and Syria two years later, sleeper cells continue to launch deadly attacks in both nations. The US military reported detaining over 300 ISIS operatives and killing more than 20 in Syria last year.

Tom Barrack, the US envoy to Syria, stated that the SDF’s role as the primary anti-ISIS force "has largely expired, as Damascus is now both willing and positioned to take over security responsibilities." He added that "recent developments show the U.S. actively facilitating this transition, rather than prolonging a separate SDF role."

The Syrian Foreign Ministry welcomed the detainee transfers, calling it "an important step to strengthen security and stability." Earlier on Wednesday, government forces, in armoured vehicles, moved into the al-Hol camp following two weeks of clashes with the SDF.

The camp, once home to 73,000, now houses around 24,000 people, mostly women and children, including 14,500 Syrians and nearly 3,000 Iraqis. A highly secured section holds some 6,500 individuals, many of whom are loyal ISIS supporters. An Iraqi woman in the camp, speaking anonymously, described the dire conditions: "Go inside and see the chaos that is happening. There are no clinics, no running water, no bread and no vegetables."

The move came after Syrian government forces took control of a sprawling camp, housing thousands of mostly women and children (AP)

The volatile situation has been underscored by recent incidents, including a drone attack on Wednesday that killed seven soldiers and wounded 20 in Yaaroubiyeh, which the Defence Ministry blamed on Kurdish forces.

The SDF countered that the blast was triggered by soldiers moving ammunition. Both the SDF and the Syrian government traded blame over the escape of ISIS members from a prison in Shaddadeh on Monday, where government forces were meant to take control. Brig. Gen. Hassan Abdul-Ghani, Syrian Defence Ministry spokesman, affirmed the government "was and still is in direct confrontation" with ISIS and is ready to manage prisons holding its members.