Australian officials scramble to track 13 ISIS fighters transferred to Iraq in US military-led operation

Government officials are scrambling to find out more details about 13 Australian fighters with suspected ISIS-links who have recently been transferred from Syria to Iraq as part of a US-led military operation.

The Nightly can reveal the Australian prisoners are among almost 6000 captured terrorists who have been moved to Baghdad for interrogations ahead of trials related to crimes in Iraq.

According to an Arabic document recently issued by the Iraqi Correctional Service, 5704 suspected Islamic state-linked foreign fighters and affiliates have now been taken to the Al-Karkh Central Prison.

A Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade spokesperson has told The Nightly it was “aware of reports that the US is transferring prisoners from northeast Syria to Iraq. We are seeking further details with relevant authorities.”

“Our travel advice continues to advise Australians do not travel to Syria due to the dangerous security situation and threat of armed conflict, airstrikes, terrorism, arbitrary detention and kidnapping.”

The Smartraveller advisory for Syria has been listed as “Do Not Travel” since April 2011, and Australian security agencies continue to monitor the situation on the ground.

This week Iraq’s Foreign Minister revealed his nation was in talks with other countries, including Arab and Muslim states, to repatriate the ISIS prisoners, but it’s unclear if those discussions involve Australia.

Speaking in Munich on Friday, Minister Fuad Hussein said Baghdad would need financial aid to deal with the influx and was worried about a rise in ISIS activity over the border in Syria.

The Islamic State extremist group seized large tracts of Syria and Iraq in 2014 before it was driven out by US-led coalition forces five years later, and many of its members were detained, although remnants of the jihadist group still operate.

“I think around 3,000 have already been transferred into Iraqi prisons. So the process has started and we are continuing that process,” Mr Hussein said on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference.

The detainees from 60 countries had been held for years in Syrian prisons run by Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces before the recapture of surrounding territory by the Syrian Government prompted the US to intervene.

Earlier this week US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced it had completed the transfer of more than 5700 suspected ISIS detainees from Syria to Iraq.

“The 23-day transfer mission began on Jan 21 and resulted in US forces successfully transporting more than 5,700 adult male ISIS fighters from detention facilities in Syria to Iraqi custody,” CENTCOM said in a statement on Saturday.

The operation was completed after a night flight from northeastern Syria to Iraq took place on February 12, “to help ensure ISIS detainees remain secure in detention facilities”, CENTCOM said.

US and coalition forces operating under Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve (CJTF-OIR) led mission planning, coordination, and execution for the transfer, which had originally sought to relocate about 7000 detainees.

“I am extremely proud of the coalition’s exceptional work,” said US Army Major General Kevin Lambert, CJTF-OIR commander.

“The successful execution of this orderly and secure transfer operation will help prevent an ISIS resurgence in Syria.”

Middle East analyst Seth Frantzman said countries have an obligation to take their citizens back, arguing that “outsourcing it to Iraq also isn’t a long-term answer.”

“Some argue that the reason CENTCOM moved ISIS members to Iraq is that Damascus is not capable or reliable enough to hold them all,” he wrote.

“Some argue that Syria’s rulers can’t be trusted regarding this, etc. however, the countries that are members of the anti-ISIS Coalition are also not taking their people back.”

“This essentially says that Syria must keep holding them, or Syria can release them but they will be left in limbo.”