The US military launched a mission to move up to 7,000 Islamic State (IS) fighters from prisons in north-eastern Syria to Iraq. US Central Command said 150 IS prisoners from Hassakeh province have already been relocated to a safe place in Iraq. The transfer aims to avoid breakouts that "would pose a direct threat to the United States and regional security," they said. On Tuesday night, Syria's government agreed on a new ceasefire with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). This happened after the SDF withdrew from the al-Hol camp, which houses thousands of relatives of IS fighters. On Wednesday, Syria's defence ministry reported that seven soldiers were killed in a drone attack by Kurdish forces in Hasakah province. Tensions remain high as the government and SDF blame each other for the escape of IS suspects from a prison in Shaddadi, southern Hassakeh. Syria's interior ministry said its forces entered Shaddadi following the escape of about 120 IS prisoners. They arrested 81 fugitives during search operations. The SDF said it lost control of Shaddadi prison after attacks by "Damascus-affiliated factions" killed many SDF fighters. SDF spokesman Farhad Shami told Reuters that about 1,500 IS members escaped during the clashes. The SDF also accused government forces of attacking al-Aqtan prison north of Raqqa, which holds IS members and leaders. Despite being weakened, IS remains active, mainly attacking Kurdish forces in north-east Syria in 2025. The US used to be the main ally of the SDF in Syria. In 2025, US and partners detained over 300 IS operatives and killed more than 20 during the year. However, US special envoy Tom Barrack said the US-SDF partnership "has largely expired." The US now focuses on securing IS prisoner facilities and encouraging talks between the SDF and President Ahmed Sharaa's government. Mr. Barrack said on X: "This moment offers a pathway to full integration into a unified Syrian state with citizenship rights, cultural protections, and political participation - long denied under Bashar al-Assad's regime."