The United States of America thwarted a “near-disastrous” escape of nearly 6,000 of the most dangerous ISIS members detained in prisons in northern Syria. This secret operation took place over a period of weeks and included the transfer of these detainees to Iraqi territory.
Fox News reported, citing a high-ranking intelligence official, that fears were exacerbated by the clashes that broke out in northern Syria and the decline in the ability of the Syrian Democratic Forces to secure prisons, which prompted Washington to intensify intelligence, diplomatic and military coordination with Baghdad to transfer detainees to a facility near Baghdad International Airport, under the supervision of the Iraqi government.
The official stressed that such operations “could have changed the region, and perhaps the entire world, overnight,” describing these detainees as “the worst of the worst” members of the terrorist organization.
He also added that Baghdad realized the extent of the potential danger, as it feared that the success of the escape operation would lead to thousands of elements crossing the border and reviving a threat that Iraq still remembers bitterly.
He pointed out that teams from the Federal Bureau of Investigation are currently recording the biometric data of the detainees in preparation for judicial prosecution, while the US State Department is exerting pressure on their countries of origin to return them.
On the other hand, the families of these detainees still reside in Al-Hawl camp, a file described by Western officials as “extremely worrying” on both the security and humanitarian levels.
The official explained that separate arrangements were being made for the camps, and with the change in control of the land, the “Syrian Democratic Forces” and the Syrian government reached an agreement to hand over management of Al-Hawl camp, which includes thousands of women and children associated with ISIS, to Damascus. He pointed out that the camp is “almost empty,” warning against the scenario of releasing these people because of its serious repercussions on the security of the region.
Since ISIS lost control of the lands it occupied, the issue of detention of its members and their families has become one of the most complex security and humanitarian challenges facing northern Syria.
Prisons holding thousands of fighters rely heavily on limited local capacity, while tens of thousands of women and children live in camps like Al-Hawl, where many of them grew up in an environment that normalized extremism.
As some children grow older and approach fighting age, fears of their re-recruitment are increasing, making any security breach or widespread escape a direct threat to regional stability.
