Al-Assad Discusses Combatting Terrorism, Bilateral Relations With Iraqi Counterpart

During a phone call, Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad discussed with his Iraqi counterpart Barham Salih bilateral relations and cooperation on combatting terrorism between the two countries.

SANA, the official Syrian news agency, mentioned that Al-Assad, in a phone call with Salih, discussed "dealing with bilateral relations between the two brotherly countries, combatting terrorism, coordination and cooperation between Syria and Iraq to eliminate this danger that poses threat to both states."

According to the agency, "The two sides underlined the necessity of joint cooperation to consolidate the positive outcomes which were achieved in the fight against terrorist groups along the Syrian-Iraqi border regions."

"Talks during the phone call also dealt with means of boosting and developing bilateral cooperation, with both sides agreeing to intensify common efforts to raise the level of cooperation in all domains in the interests of the two countries and peoples," SANA wrote. 

The discussions between the two presidents come after the Sayyid of Martyrs Battalions announced on June 28 the martyrdom of four members of the 14th Brigades. The culprit was an attack by the US army on the border strip between Iraq and Syria. SANA announced that a child and three civilians died as a result of the US attack on the border area, which happened in the far eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor.

Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said that the airstrikes, directed by President Joe Biden, targeted operational and weapons storage facilities at two locations in Syria and one in Iraq.