More than 43,000 Syrians, Iraqis and other foreigners from at least 45 countries are held in the squalid and overcrowded camp in Kurdish-controlled northeastern Syria.

Al-Hol houses relatives of suspected Islamic State (IS) group militants alongside refugees.

The security source, who requested anonymity because they are not allowed to speak to the media, told AFP that "706 people, or 181 families, returned to Iraq from Al-Hol and were transferred to the Al-Jadaa", a camp near the northern city of Mosul.

It is the fourth group of Iraqis brought back from Al-Hol in a year, according to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor.

Repatriation of family members of suspected IS members has stirred controversy in Iraq, where the jihadist group seized large swathes of land before being defeated in late 2017.

To mitigate tensions, upon arrival in Iraq, authorities usually keep returnees from Al-Hol for weeks or even months at what officials describe as a "psychological rehabilitation" facility in Al-Jadaa camp, where they also undergo security checks before returning home.