Iraq has transferred 2,250 imprisoned ISIS militants into the country by air and land as part of an ongoing operation coordinated with the US-led international coalition, the Iraqi Security Media Cell announced on Saturday, amid warnings of increased militant activity in western regions.

Security Media Cell spokesperson Saad Maan said the transfer process is continuing in coordination with the Joint Operations Command, Iraqi security forces, and the international coalition led by the United States.

“The process of transferring ISIS militants continues, and as of Friday, 2,250 ISIS members have been transferred to Iraq,” Maan told Rudaw.

Addressing concerns over border security and the risk of escapes, Maan stressed that the situation remains under control.

“The borders are being monitored very carefully, and no escape has occurred so far. Monitoring operations are continuing in all aspects, there is no danger, and calculations have been made for all possibilities,” he said.

Maan also emphasized the role of the Kurdistan Region’s Peshmerga forces in maintaining security, highlighting ongoing coordination between federal and regional forces.

“Peshmerga forces are Iraqi forces and are part of the country’s security and defense system, and they continue to coordinate and cooperate with other security forces,” he said.

The transfers come amid growing concern in Iraq over renewed ISIS activity, particularly as the group is believed to be exploiting security gaps in neighboring Syria following prison breaks involving ISIS detainees.

Local officials in Nineveh and Anbar provinces have warned of increased ISIS movements following two recent suicide attacks in western Iraq. In mid-January, Iraqi National Security Advisor Qasim al-Araji cautioned that ISIS was taking advantage of clashes between Kurdish forces and Damascus-affiliated armed groups in Syria, during which detainees escaped from several prisons.

Imad Mashaal al-Dulaimi, mayor of Anbar’s al-Rutbah district—the province’s largest district—said ISIS militants have taken refuge in remote areas of Anbar, prompting intensified security operations to track them down.

Meanwhile, Mohammed Jasim Kakayi, head of the security and defense committee in the Nineveh Provincial Council, said ISIS militants are primarily active in the Hazar area. He added that Iraqi forces carried out airstrikes on Friday, killing five to six ISIS members, including Abi Hajar Ani, a senior ISIS leader. Hazar district lies about 60 kilometers southwest of Nineveh province.

On Saturday, two ISIS militants detonated themselves during a security operation in western Anbar, injuring federal security personnel, according to Iraq’s National Security Service (INSS).