Escalations in Syria have direct repercussions on Iraq: PMF chief
2 Min Read
After the armed groups of Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham launched a large-scale attack on Aleppo, Syria, the head of the Iraqi Popular Mobilization Authority directed the reinforcement and increased presence of units at the borders.
-
In this photo released by the Syrian official news agency SANA, Syrian President Bashar Assad, right, meets with Iraq's then National Security Advisor Faleh al-Fayyad in Damascus, Syria, October 17, 2019. (AP)
On Monday, Faleh al-Fayyad, the head of Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces, said in a statement that he has instructed an "increase in the presence of units and reinforcements on the fronts," clarifying that the Popular Mobilization Forces operate solely within Iraq and have not entered Syria.
Al-Fayyad added that "what is happening in Syria has direct repercussions on Iraqi national security," warning "whoever tries to advance into Iraq" against doing so.
For its part, the Media Directorate of the Popular Mobilization Forces announced that "Iraq is sending military reinforcements from the Popular Mobilization Forces and the army to the western border with Syria."
The Deputy Speaker of the Iraqi Parliament called for "activating intelligence efforts and coordinating with Syria, as well as brotherly and friendly countries, to exchange information," emphasizing the need to conduct "targeted preemptive operations to prevent the infiltration of terrorist groups."
He stressed that "Iraq has the right to defend its national security and peace from a legal perspective and under Iraqi and international law."
'No fear regarding secure Iraq borders with Syria'
Earlier today, Iraqi President Abdul Latif Jamal Rashid reaffirmed Iraq’s commitment to the stability of Syria and the security of the region as the Syrian Army continues to repel attacks by militant groups in the countrysides of Hama, Idlib, and Aleppo.
According to a statement from the Media Department of the Presidency of the Republic, obtained by the Iraqi News Agency (INA), Rashid met with the Syrian Ambassador to Iraq, Sattam Jadaan al-Dandah, at Baghdad Palace.
The statement noted that the discussion focused on developments in Syria’s security situation, emphasizing "Iraq's support for consolidating stability, and working to prevent the expansion of conflict."
Rashid stressed that "the developments of events in Syria and their repercussions on the region as a whole are of great interest," affirming that "Iraq has worked to strengthen international peace and security."
