Iraq Denies Border Tensions Amid Syrian Troop Movements

According to the International Desk of Webangah News Agency, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s forces have reportedly increased their readiness along the border with Iraq, deploying units from the 72nd, 66th, and 86th divisions to the Albukamal region and the Iraqi border. Local sources indicated that the Syrian Ministry of Defense declared a ‘Level C’ alert, positioning troops at the frontier. Foreign fighters with Uzbek and Chechen nationalities in the Idlib countryside have also been instructed to enhance their preparedness.

In response, Iraq has bolstered its border security measures, deploying personnel from its border guard, army, and the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) to border areas. Concurrently, reconnaissance and intelligence operations utilizing drones are underway to monitor border developments. However, Mohammed Abdul Wahab Sakar Al-Saidi, commander of the Iraqi border guard forces, emphasized that the border situation is normal and that Syrian troop movements are being conducted with Baghdad’s knowledge and coordination.

In a separate development within the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, local sources reported an assassination attempt on the son of Hossein Yazdan, an official of the Iranian terrorist and separatist group ‘Pjak’ (Party for Free Life of Kurdistan), in the city of Erbil. According to the report, armed individuals opened fire on him near the ‘Italian Village’ area, and his condition has been described as critical.