New york: Iraq’s Representative to the UN Security Council affirmed that “the security of ISIS prisons is not a local matter, but rather an international responsibility and a matter of Iraqi national security.” He further stated that “any laxity in controlling the prisons gives ISIS an opportunity to regroup.”

According to National Iraqi News Agency, in his address to the Council session on the situation in Syria, the Iraqi Representative highlighted the strategic threat posed by Al-Hol camp. He noted that “the collapse of Al-Shaddadi prison, which houses dangerous terrorist elements and extremist leaders, revealed the fragility of the entire security system.” The proximity of this prison to Al-Hol camp, he warned, could potentially ignite broader security challenges.

He added that Iraq has made a strategic decision, in coordination with the international coalition, to receive terrorists detained in prisons formerly under the control of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). This proactive step aims to prevent the spread of terrorists classified as first-tier leaders within terrorist groups.

The Representative emphasized Iraq’s acceptance of foreign terrorists, whose countries have refused to repatriate them, as a measure to protect regional and international security. He criticized some countries for considering their citizens as threats to their national security and refusing to take them back, calling this stance unacceptable.

The Iraqi Representative concluded by welcoming the common understanding reached between the Syrian government and the SDF regarding the future of Hasakah Governorate and the full integration of forces and institutions.