BAGHDAD, Feb. 7 — Iraq has received 2,250 Islamic State (IS) terrorist detainees from Syria and commenced legal classification procedures against them, the Iraqi military said on Saturday.
The transfer was conducted in coordination with the International Coalition tasked with fighting IS and through great efforts by the security forces, said Lieutenant General Saad Maan, head of the Security Media Cell, a media outlet affiliated with the Iraqi Joint Operations Command.
Maan told the official Iraqi News Agency that specialized teams have begun preliminary investigations and classification of the suspects based on their level of threat, with confessions being recorded under direct judicial supervision.
The Iraqi Foreign Ministry is coordinating with several countries to repatriate their detained nationals once legal conditions are satisfied, he added.
His remarks follow the announcement by Iraqi authorities on Jan. 21 that Iraq had received the first 150 IS detainees previously held in Syria’s prisons.
According to U.S. Central Command, the detainees were moved from a detention facility in Hasakah, Syria, to a secure location in Iraq.
The transfer is part of a broader plan that could eventually see up to 7,000 IS detainees relocated to Iraqi-controlled facilities. (Namibia Daily News / Xinhua)
