The United States quietly stopped what officials say could have been a regional disaster: a near-catastrophic prison break involving almost 6,000 ISIS detainees in Syria. Yes, the same ISIS that some people claim is “finished” until they’re about to escape in bulk—awkward timing.
According to senior U.S. intelligence officials speaking to Fox News Digital, these detainees were considered “the worst of the worst” and were being held in northern Syria by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces. As chaos and clashes spread across the country, U.S. leaders saw the obvious risk: if the prisons collapsed, ISIS would be back on the battlefield instantly. Not slowly. Instantly.
“If these 6,000 or so got out and returned to the battlefield, that would basically be the instant reconstitution of ISIS,” a senior intelligence official warned. Turns out borders, prisons, and national security still matter. Shocking concept for some.
The danger had been building for months. In late October, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard assessed that Syria’s transition could slide into disorder and create the conditions for a catastrophic jailbreak. The Office of the Director of National Intelligence sent teams to Syria and Iraq to begin discussions with both the SDF and the Iraqi government about removing what officials repeatedly described as the most dangerous detainees before events overtook them.
Those fears sharpened in early January as fighting erupted in Aleppo and spread eastward. Time was running out. Daily coordination calls were launched across agencies as the situation escalated. Secretary of State Marco Rubio managed day-to-day policy issues, while ODNI drove a working group that kept U.S. Central Command, diplomats, and intelligence officials aligned on one urgent goal: stop nearly 6,000 ISIS fighters from slipping into the chaos.
The Iraqi government understood the stakes immediately. Officials feared that a massive breakout would put Iraq right back into a “2014 ISIS on our border” situation. The U.S. Embassy in Baghdad played a key role in clearing the diplomatic runway for what became a major logistical operation.
Then came the
lift. Officials credited CENTCOM’s surge of resources for making it happen on the ground, using helicopters and additional assets to move detainees quickly. Nearly 6,000 ISIS fighters were transferred in just a few weeks and are now held at a facility near Baghdad International Airport under Iraqi authority.
The next phase focuses on identification and accountability. FBI teams are enrolling detainees biometrically while U.S. and Iraqi officials work to determine what intelligence can be used in prosecutions. The State Department is also pressing countries of origin to take responsibility for their citizens among the detainees.
The operation did not include families held in camps such as al-Hol, leaving unresolved security and humanitarian challenges. Still, the immediate threat was neutralized, and a potential ISIS resurgence was stopped before it began. Strong action, real results, and a reminder that decisive leadership still keeps America and its allies safer—and that’s a win worth ending on.
