ISIS and Counterterrorism

The U.S. has begun relocating ISIS detainees from northeastern Syria to Iraq — moving about 150 so far and preparing to transfer potentially thousands of the roughly 9,000–10,000 detainees — even as a fragile ceasefire has allowed Syrian government forces to assume control of former SDF prisons (notably Al‑Shaddadi and al‑Aqtan) amid reports of prisoner escapes and subsequent recaptures. At the same time Washington has signaled a policy shift toward engaging Syria’s new government — envoy Tom Barrack met President Ahmad al‑Sharaa and described the SDF’s original counter‑ISIS role as “largely expired” — prompting U.S. force repositioning and bipartisan concern about protecting Kurdish partners.

CENTCOM said a U.S. strike in northwest Syria on Jan. 16 killed Bilal Hasan al‑Jasim, an Al‑Qaeda‑linked leader it alleges was directly connected to the Dec. 13 Palmyra ambush that killed two Iowa National Guard sergeants and an American interpreter. The strike is part of Operation Hawkeye Strike — a series of large‑scale, coalition‑supported retaliatory waves since Dec. 19 that CENTCOM says has hit more than 100 Islamic State infrastructure and weapons targets across Syria — and officials reiterated a stern deterrent that the U.S. will find and kill those who harm its warfighters.