Iraq to Prosecute Islamic State Militants

Iraq has announced it will prosecute approximately 9,000 Islamic State militants being transferred from prisons and detention camps in Syria under a United States-brokered deal. This move comes after Syria's government forces routed Syrian Democratic Forces from areas in northeastern Syria, including the al-Hol camp and Shaddadeh prison, where these detainees were held. The transfer process, initiated by the United States military, aims to address concerns that escaped Islamic State detainees could regroup and threaten Iraq's security along the Syria-Iraq border. Both Syria and the United States have welcomed Iraq's offer to take responsibility for the prisoners, who will be investigated by Iraqi security forces and tried in domestic courts. The fighting between Syria's government and Syrian Democratic Forces has largely halted due to a ceasefire, extended to facilitate the transfer operation. Despite the defeat of Islamic State in Iraq in 2017 and Syria in 2019, sleeper cells continue to pose a threat in both countries.