Shafaq News– Dhi Qar/ Maysan
Nasiriyah Central Prison in Dhi Qar, known as Al-Hoot, southern Iraq, is set to receive more than 3,000 ISIS detainees transferred from Syria under the tripartite agreement between Iraq, the US, and Syria, a security source told Shafaq News on Friday.
According to the source, the decision has not yet been finalized, but Al-Hoot remains a leading candidate to host one of the largest groups of detainees.
Al-Hoot currently holds more than 13,000 inmates convicted of terrorism and criminal offenses, with sentences ranging from more than five years in prison to capital punishment, despite being designed to accommodate no more than 5,000 prisoners, he noted, adding that Iraq is moving to open two new large central prisons in Wasit and Al-Diwaniyah provinces, expected to accommodate more than 10,000 inmates combined.
Meanwhile, the Head of Maysan Provincial Council’s Security Committee, Qasim Issa, told Shafaq News that the province would not object if it were selected to host a batch of the 7,000 ISIS members. He also pointed out that such decisions are taken by the central government, adding that prison administration and security protection fall under federal authority rather than local governments.
Caretaker Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani discussed the timeline for transferring ISIS detainees with US Central Command Commander (CENTCOM) Admiral Brad Cooper. Earlier, CENTCOM announced that its forces had moved 150 ISIS detainees from a detention facility in Syria’s Al-Hasakah province to Iraq, citing concerns over preventing any potential escape.
In Syria, ISIS detainees are held in detention facilities and camps, including Al-Hol, which the United Nations and rights groups such as Amnesty International have long flagged as security risks due to overcrowding, radicalization, and repeated escape attempts.