Khaberni - Washington thwarted what a senior intelligence official described as a "near-catastrophic" escape attempt by about 6,000 of ISIS's most dangerous detainees from prisons in northern Syria, during a secret operation to transfer them to Iraq over a few weeks.
According to the official, concerns escalated with clashes in northern Syria and the diminished ability of the "Syrian Democratic Forces" to secure the prisons, prompting Washington to coordinate intelligence, diplomatic, and military efforts with Baghdad to transfer the detainees to a facility near Baghdad International Airport under the authority of the Iraqi government.
The official told the American network "Fox News" that "this kind of prison escape could have changed the region, and possibly the whole world, overnight," describing those ISIS detainees as "the worst of the worst" among the group's elements.
The official said the Iraqi government understood the magnitude of the risks. Baghdad had its own motivations to act quickly, fearing that if thousands of detainees managed to escape, they could cross the border and revive a threat Iraq still bitterly remembers.
The official pointed out that teams from the Federal Bureau of Investigation are currently handling the biometric registration of these individuals in preparation for judicial prosecutions, while the U.S. State Department pressures their home countries to take them back, while their families remain in Al-Hol camp under Damascus' management, in a file described by Western officials as "very concerning" both security-wise and humanitarianly.
The official said that the camps themselves were subject to separate arrangements, and that the responsibility over them changed with the shift in control on the ground. According to him, the Syrian Democratic Forces and the Syrian government reached an understanding that Damascus would take over the administration of Al-Hol camp, which houses thousands of women and children associated with ISIS.
The official added: "As you see on social media, Al-Hol camp is being practically emptied," indicating that "the Syrian government appears to have decided to release them," a scenario he described as "very disturbing" for the region's security.
Fox News' report pointed out that the fate of these families has long been considered one of the most complicated issues within the ISIS detention system. Many children grew up in the camps after the organization lost its regional control, and some of them are now approaching fighting age, raising concerns about future radicalization and recruitment.
The official stated that currently, intelligence agencies are closely following developments following a swift operation believed to have prevented thousands of seasoned fighters from returning all at once to the battlefield and reigniting ISIS's combative force.
