The US moved two captured British "Islamic State" (IS) fighters — known for their role in the filmed beheadings of Western hostages — out of Syria to Iraq on Wednesday, US officials report.

The two men were part of a group of four IS fighters who became known internationally as "the Beatles”, a nickname coined by their surviving prisoners because of their British nationality.

In 2014 and 2015 the group filmed themselves beheading British, American, and Japanese journalists and aid workers, as well as a group of Syrian soldiers. The filmed executions circulated the globe as propaganda for IS.

The prisoners were moved ahead of Turkey's planned military offensive in northeastern Syria on Wednesday. The two fighters, El Shafee Elsheikh and Alexanda Kotey, were previously in the custody of their captors, the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). The SDF is a target of the Turkish offensive.

Read more: Opinion: The Kurds lose out again

A chance for escape

US President Donald Trump said Wednesday that the US had taken custody of some IS prisoners so they did not escape during the invasion.

"We are taking some of the most dangerous Islamic State fighters out," he said in a statement at the White House.

Thousands of IS fighters are being held in detention centers run by the Kurds in Syria. There are fears that the prisoners may escape, should the Turkish military action force Kurdish soldiers from their posts.

The US and the SDF have worked together in the fight against IS in the region. Trump has been called a "traitor” for pulling US troops out earlier this week, clearing the way for Turkish troops.

Turkey views the Kurdish army as a terrorist organization. It aims to claim the territory in Syria and use it to resettle the Syrian refugees currently residing in Turkey.

Who are the major players in northern Syria? US: Troop pullback Over the past years, US troops have supported Kurdish fighters as they battled radical "Islamic State" (IS) militants to take back control of large areas of northern Syria. In what was seen as a surprising turnaround, US President Donald Trump announced in early October that he was withdrawing US troops from the region's border with Turkey. This pullback left a vacuum for others to act and react.

Who are the major players in northern Syria? Turkey: Anti-Kurdish offensive Trump's troop withdrawal was a de-facto go-ahead for Turkey to launch an offensive into northeast Syria. The region is home to a largely autonomous Kurdish population and Kurdish militants known as the YPG, who are tied to an outlawed Kurdish party in Turkey. Turkey, who has faced a Kurdish insurgency, sees the Syrian Kurds as a threat to its security, hence the military action.

Who are the major players in northern Syria? Kurdish YPG: Fighting Turkish forces The YPG was one of the US' main allies in the fight to drive out IS from north Syria, but since October it has been fighting the Turkish forces that crossed into Syria. The YPG lacks strong air capabilities and defenses, putting it at a decided disadvantage in comparison to the Turkish army.

Who are the major players in northern Syria? SDF: Betrayed by the US The YPG is the largest component of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which also includes Arab and Christian militias. The SDF, which fought IS, controls northeastern Syria and feels betrayed by the US pullback. It is now fighting Turkish troops and their allies. It has warned that the Turkish offensive could distract from making sure IS fighters do not renew their strength in Syria.

Who are the major players in northern Syria? Syrian government army: Deal made The relationship between Syrian President Bashar Assad's troops and the SDF is a tricky one that shifts between cooperation, live-and-let-live and skirmishes, depending on the current situation. After Turkey launched its offensive, the Kurds struck a deal with the government that saw Syrian troops mobilized to fight the Turkish forces, allowing them to enter a region they had ceded to the SDF.

Who are the major players in northern Syria? Russia: Stepping up, stepping in Russia has consistently backed the government of Syrian President Assad (L, with Putin in 2018) and assisted its forces. After US troops pulled out of the Kurdish areas, Russia moved its troops in to act as a buffer for Syrian government forces advancing towards the Turkish army. Moscow wants Syria to remain united and has accused the US of creating parallel structures in the Kurdish region.

Who are the major players in northern Syria? SNA: Turkey's Syrian allies Turkey also has allies among Syrian fighters. The Syrian National Army (SNA), also known as the Free Syrian Army, is a Syrian rebel group that has fought against the SDF and Assad's government. Backed by Turkey, SNA fighters took part in previous Turkish offensives against Kurdish militias inside Syria. Currently, thousands of SNA fighters are fighting the YPG alongside Turkish forces.

Who are the major players in northern Syria? IS: A renewed role? One possible future actor is IS. While it was essentially defeated in March 2019, tens of thousands of its fighters and their families remain in prisons or guarded camps in the Kurdish area of the country. Nearly a thousand alone have already escaped from a camp that was caught in the fighting between Kurdish militias and Turkish forces. Should the situation grow more unstable, IS could regroup. Author: Uta Steinwehr, Cristina Burack



kp/rc (AP, dpa)

Each evening at 1830 UTC, DW's editors send out a selection of the day's hard news and quality feature journalism. You can sign up to receive it directly here.