Iraq begins clearing out terrorists on Iran border as per agreement

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: The New Arab
17 Sep 2023 15:07
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Iraq's border forces in coordination with Peshmerga forces have clashed with several terrorist groups on the Iraq-Iran border and have disarmed them as per a prior agreement with Iran.

Iraqi security forces stand guard outside a mountain spot in Parakh in the north of Iraq, on July 22, 2022 (AFP)

Iraq's Joint Operations Command is working on securing its border with Iran from terrorist groups, the spokesperson of the JOC told The New Arab on Saturday.

Iraq's Border Guard Forces issued a statement saying that a force from the Second Border Brigade and Special Border Forces supported by Peshmerga forces took control of several points on the Iraqi-Iranian border after clashing with terrorists within the boundaries of the Erbil Governate.

It also said that "the Border Forces leadership is determined to assert the Iraqi state's authority over the entire border with neighboring countries and to raise the Iraqi flag at its farthest points."

Tahsin al-Khafaji, the spokesperson for the Iraqi Joint Operations Command, spoke to The New Arab saying that "security forces have initiated the process of enforcing the law and the state's authority at all border points with Iran to prevent the use of Iraqi territory for any aggression against neighboring countries [Iran], as stipulated by the Iraqi constitution."

He emphasized that "the Iraqi forces have the military capabilities to control the Iraqi-Iranian border strip," adding that there exists a high level of coordination with Iraq's Kurdistan regional government on the matter.

In addition, Ghayath al-Surji, a leader in the Kurdistan Democratic Party, told the news website that "Iraq has effectively begun implementing the security agreement with Iran, which aims to dismantle the Iranian Kurdish [seperatists] located on the Iraqi-Iranian border. Many of these groups have been relocated away from the border, and their weapons have been confiscated."

He stressed that "Iran is serious about combating these parties," which it has suspended operations against after reaching an agreement with Baghdad on the matter.

However, should the dismantling of their headquarters not proceed according to the agreed terms, or if certain separatist elements refuse to comply, the source cautioned that "Iran will revert to the situation it was in prior to the agreement, fully committed to safeguarding the nation's security," referring to military strikes conducted against the militants and their posts by the Iranian Armed Forces and Iranian Revolution Guard Corps IRGC.

An agreement with Iraq was reached earlier this year to close down the bases of the terrorist groups in Kurdistan, disarm them, and relocate them to areas away from the Iraq-Iran border, with 19 September being the final deadline to carry out the agreement.

Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani confirmed on Monday that Tehran will not extend the deadline.