Iraq has taken custody of 2,250 terrorism suspects from Syria and has begun judicial procedures to classify and process them, the country’s Security Media Cell announced on Saturday.
The head of the Security Media Cell, Lieutenant General Saad Maan, said Iraq received the terrorists by land and air from the Syrian side, in coordination with the international coalition and through extensive efforts by Iraqi security forces. He said the detainees have been held in tightly secured, officially designated detention facilities.
The Security Media Cell announces the reception of 2,250 terrorists from Syria and the start of procedures for their judicial classification. #Iraq_News #Syria #Classification pic.twitter.com/7j4eQP186f
— Alahad TV-EN (@ahad_en) February 7, 2026
Maan stressed that the Iraqi government and security forces are fully prepared to handle the influx, noting that the measures are aimed at preventing threats not only to Iraq but also at the global level.
He added that specialized teams have launched preliminary investigations and are classifying the detainees according to their level of threat while recording their confessions under direct judicial supervision. He underscored that Iraq’s established principle is to prosecute all individuals involved in crimes against Iraqis and affiliated with the ISIS terrorist organization before competent Iraqi courts.
Maan also said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is maintaining ongoing contacts with several countries regarding detainees of other nationalities. He noted that repatriation to their home countries will begin once legal requirements are completed, while Iraqi security agencies continue their field and investigative duties related to the case.
The detainees are among up to 7,000 ISIS members whose transfer from Syria to Iraq was announced last month by U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), in a move aimed at ensuring that militants remain in secure detention facilities.
Over recent years, Iraqi courts have handed down death sentences and life imprisonment to individuals convicted of belonging to terrorist organizations and involvement in mass killings. Thousands of Iraqis and foreign nationals convicted of ISIS affiliation are currently held in Iraqi prisons.
On Monday, Iraq’s judiciary announced the start of investigative proceedings into 1,387 detainees received as part of a U.S. military operation.
Those transferred to Iraq include Syrian, Iraqi, European, and other foreign nationals, according to Iraqi security sources. Baghdad has repeatedly called on the countries concerned to take back their citizens and ensure their prosecution.
In Syria, thousands of suspected militants and their families, including foreign nationals, remain detained in prisons and camps run by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
The plan to transfer ISIS detainees to Iraq was announced last month after U.S. envoy to Damascus Tom Barrack said the SDF’s role in confronting the extremist group had come to an end. A Kurdish military source told AFP that transfers of ISIS detainees from Syria to Iraq continue under U.S. military protection.
Source: Agencies (edited by Al-Manar)