Iraq begins interrogating ISIL captives from Syria, with a total of 7,000 expected.
The United States military has transported a third group of ISIL (ISIS) detainees from Ghwayran prison in Syria’s Hasakah province to Iraq by land, as movements around a US military base in the region point to possible operational changes, an Al Jazeera correspondent reported.
Saturday’s transfer is part of a tripartite arrangement, which emerged as part of a painstaking ceasefire after deadly clashes involving the Syrian government and military organizations. Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), under which detainees in northeastern Syria are being transferred to Iraqi custody. The US military is a third party to that agreement.
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Earlier, US Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed the launch of a massive operation to move prisoners from facilities across the region, outlining a plan to transfer around 7,000 prisoners.
Iraq has launched an investigation into ISIL captures from Syria for abusing its citizens.
Security developments in north-east Syria have accelerated in recent weeks with government forces crossing the north and the SDF retreating.
On Saturday, SDF Governor-designate Nour Adian Ahmed met with a delegation from Damascus at the Hasakah government building ahead of Syria’s national flag-raising ceremony.
The meeting has political significance as an agreement between Damascus and the SDF allows the group to appoint the governor of Hasakah, Ahmed is expected to be formally appointed by the Syrian government.
The visiting delegation includes senior government security officials, who underscored Damascus’ expanding administrative control over the province. The hoisting of the Syrian national flag on a government building represents a reassertion of the central government’s authority in the Hasakah.
Syrian government forces entered Earlier this week the city of Qamishli, one of the remaining urban strongholds of the Kurdish-led SDF, following a ceasefire agreement reached Friday last week.
The deal ended weeks of clashes and paved the way for the gradual integration of SDF fighters into Syrian state institutions, a move Washington described as an important step toward national reconciliation.
The deal follows territorial losses to the SDF earlier this year as government forces advanced into parts of eastern and northern Syria, reshaping the Line of Control and opening negotiations on future security arrangements.
Separately, Al Jazeera’s correspondent on the ground reported that US personnel evacuated most of the watchtowers surrounding the military installation in the al-Shaddadi area of Hasakah province, leaving only the western tower staffed.
Soldiers were seen taking down the US flag from a tower, while equipment used to manage aircraft take-offs and landings on the base’s airstrip was no longer visible.
No fighter jets were present at the facility, although a large cargo plane landed at the base, stayed for several hours, and then departed.
The US established its formal military presence in Syria in October 2015, initially deploying around 50 special forces personnel in an advisory role as part of the international coalition fighting ISIL. Since then, troop levels have fluctuated.
Reports by mid-2025 indicated that approximately 500 US troops had withdrawn from the country, leaving approximately 1,400 personnel, although the exact figures remain unclear due to the classified nature of many deployments.
US forces continue to focus on combating the remnants of ISIL, now supporting the Syrian government, providing intelligence and logistical support, and securing oil and gas infrastructure in Hasakah and Deir ez-Zor provinces.
America took another round “Large scale” attacks against ISIL In Syria in January, after an attack that Two American soldiers were killed and civilian interpreters in the city of Palmyra in December.