BAGHDAD / ISTANBUL

Iraq’s Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani on Sunday called the transfer of ISIS (Daesh) detainees from Syria to Iraqi prisons “temporary,” urging countries to repatriate their nationals from among the terrorist group’s members.

“The step of temporarily transferring ISIS terrorist elements to Iraqi prisons aims to preserve both national security and regional security,” Sudani said during a meeting with Atul Khare, the UN under-secretary-general for operational support.

“Iraq has demonstrated its sense of responsibility and its ability to provide the correct solutions that ensure the prevention of terrorist activity,” he added in comments carried by the premier’s media office.

He urged the concerned countries to “repatriate their nationals from ISIS members and bring them to trial so they may receive their fair punishment.”

Khare, for his part, conveyed “the greetings and appreciation of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres for Iraq’s positions in consolidating stability in the region and its cooperation in transferring ISIS terrorists, especially those holding Iraqi nationality,” the statement said.

He stressed “the importance of this step” and the need for international support “to prevent the spread of the threat of terrorism.”

On Tuesday, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said that it has launched a mission to transfer ISIS detainees from northeastern Syria to Iraq to ensure the terror group’s members remain in secure detention facilities.

The mission began with US forces transporting 150 ISIS members from a detention facility in the northeastern Hasakah province to a secure location in Iraq, with plans for up to 7,000 detainees to eventually be transferred to Iraqi-controlled facilities.