Shafaq News- Baghdad

The United States completed the 23-day transfer mission to move more than 5,700 adult male ISIS fighters from detention facilities in northeastern Syria to Iraqi custody, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced on Friday.

In a statement, CENTCOM said the operation began on January 21 and concluded on February 12 with a nighttime transfer from Syria to Iraq. Commander Gen. Brad Cooper described the relocation as "critical" to maintaining regional stability.

Earlier this month, informed sources told Shafaq News that Iraq is holding about 5,000 ISIS detainees transferred from Syria in high-security facilities, noting that they have not been moved to local prisons, as judicial authorities plan to reopen case files and initiate proceedings under Iraqi law before issuing verdicts.

Read more: ISIS detainee transfers test Iraq’s post-Coalition security