Baghdad: The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) completed a transfer mission following a nighttime flight from northeastern Syria to Iraq on February 12 to help ensure ISIS detainees remain secure in detention facilities.
According to Kuwait News Agency, the 23-day transfer mission began on January 21 and resulted in U.S. forces successfully transporting more than 5,700 adult male ISIS fighters from detention facilities in Syria to Iraqi custody. Adm. Brad Cooper, CENTCOM commander, commended the Joint Force team for executing the mission with focus, professionalism, and collaboration with regional partners.
Adm. Cooper expressed appreciation for Iraq's leadership and its recognition of the importance of transferring the detainees for regional security. The operation was led by U.S. and coalition forces under Combined Joint Task Force - Operation Inherent Resolve (CJTF-OIR), who were responsible for mission planning, coordination, and execution.
U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Kevin Lambert, CJTF-OIR commander, praised the coalition's work, noting that the successful execution of this transfer operation will help prevent an ISIS resurgence in Syria. CJTF-OIR, established by CENTCOM in 2014, has played a significant role in advising, assisting, and enabling partner forces in the fight against the ISIS network, which was territorially defeated in 2019.