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Some ISIS prisoners who escaped from a prison in northeastern Syria on Jan. 19, are still unaccounted for after the ensuing chaos made tracking some of the fighters "impossible," an analyst familiar with the situation has claimed.
And as U.S. forces move to transfer thousands of male militants from the region to Iraq, the wives of ISIS fighters have been left behind in what he described as "fragile" detention camps.
"Damascus claims most of the escapees were recaptured, but some remain at large," Syria analyst Nanar Hawach told Fox News Digital.
"The exact number unaccounted for is unclear because the chaos made tracking them all impossible," said Hawach, of the International Crisis Group.
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"The U.S. transfer to Iraq covers male detainees from prisons, but those detained in camps remain in Syria under Damascus’ control."
U.S. Central Command confirmed Jan. 21 that it had begun transferring ISIS prisoners to Iraqi-controlled facilities as an emergency effort to prevent a resurgence of the terror group amid deteriorating security conditions.
The move followed the prison escape at a detention facility in Hasakah province during clashes between Syrian government forces and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces.
Militants broke out during the unrest, and while many were later recaptured, the full scope of the escape remains unclear.
U.S. forces have already transported roughly 150 ISIS fighters from a detention facility in Hasakah to secure locations in Iraq, according to CENTCOM, which said as many as 7,000 detainees could ultimately be transferred.
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An Iraqi intelligence general told The Associated Press on Jan. 21 that Iraqi authorities received an initial batch of 144 detainees, with additional transfers planned by aircraft.
"The U.S. is facilitating transfers to Iraqi custody as an emergency measure because of the unstable security situation in northeast Syria," Hawach said, noting that Iraq’s secure prisons "reduce the risk of further mass breakouts."
"Human rights organizations have raised concerns about trial procedures in Iraq, but the priority right now is preventing escapes, and Iraq can deliver that."
Hawach emphasized that the transfers apply only to male fighters held in prisons — not to women and children confined in camps such as the notorious al-Hol.
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Al-Hol camp has held tens of thousands of ISIS-affiliated women and children since the group’s territorial defeat in 2019.
"Women and children are held in camps, not prisons, and are processed differently than male fighters," Hawach said.
"The long-term solution for women and children is repatriation to their home countries, but most governments have been reluctant," Hawach said.
"Some women are ideologically committed; some are not. Distinguishing between them requires case-by-case assessments that haven’t happened at scale." Still, Hawach warned, the deeper problem remains unresolved.
"The detention system was always fragile, always underfunded, always a temporary solution waiting for permanent answers," he said.
"The transfers to Iraq address the immediate crisis but don’t solve the underlying problem of what to do with this population long-term."
U.S. Special Envoy for Syria Tom Barrack said this week that "the original purpose of the SDF as the primary anti-ISIS force on the ground has largely expired, as Damascus is now both willing and positioned to take over security responsibilities, including control of ISIS detention facilities and camps."
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