Iraq bolsters security along Syrian border

Iraqi security personnel stand at a border crossing directorate on the Iraqi-Syrian border. [Saif Ahmad/Mawtani]

Iraqi security personnel stand at a border crossing directorate on the Iraqi-Syrian border. [Saif Ahmad/Mawtani]

  • COMMENT 7
  • Print this article
  • increase decrease

Iraqi armed forces are stepping up their presence along the border with Syria and implementing strict measures in order to prevent "breaches by criminal groups", Iraqi security officials said.

The measures began on Monday (July 30th), officials said, adding that the military increased deployments of security personnel and combat forces, as well as tanks, armoured vehicles and heavy artillery along the border.

"There is a [security] vacuum along the Syrian side of the border between the two countries," said Brig. Gen. Ali al-Azzawi from the border guard forces command. This and "the deteriorating security situation required deploying Iraqi forces to close the security gaps as a precaution against breaches by criminal groups that may try to infiltrate, or escape from, Iraqi territory", he told Mawtani.

Al-Azzawi said the measures include deploying modern Iraqi tanks and armoured vehicles to repel "any terrorist attack by using deadly force to safeguard the country's security and sovereignty".

"The army also ordered artillery units to be placed along the border to support land forces in the event of a security breach," he said, "with enhanced security presence at watch towers, observation posts and patrols combing border areas, especially in nearby villages and agricultural areas."

Unprecedented measures to protect refugees, residents

According to Lt. Col. Muhanad al-Hadithy, from the 4th Emergency Battalion in Anbar, the measures are unprecedented.

"The security measures implemented on the Iraqi-Syrian border are the first of their kind in terms of the size of the force used, and [the fact] an Iraqi division of tanks and armoured vehicles [was deployed] in connection with the security tension in Syria," he said.

Al-Hadithy said the various security commands are directly supervising the operations, drawing upon previously drafted plans and instructions to deal with such situations.

Security personnel and Iraqi tribesmen living in the border regions are co-operating on a large scale "to maintain security and stability and to deal with any potential terrorist breaches", he added.

"A number of security patrols were deployed in areas opposite Syrian border posts vacated by the Syrian army. Also, bodies of water were combed and a fourth security fence of barbed wire was added along the border strip, so there are now three security barriers: a fence, a trench and two lines of barbed wire," al-Hadithy said.

Lt. Col. Saleh al-Jumaily, from the army's 2nd Rapid Intervention Battalion, told Mawtani, "All procedures are carried out in accordance with confidential security orders swiftly implemented in the event of a threat to the country."

He said that the "Iraqi forces deployed along the border try not to disturb or scare residents, as they were deployed to protect [residents] and help Syrian refugees and Iraqi citizens as they cross into Iraqi territory," al-Jumaily said.

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THIS ARTICLE? (TOTAL VOTES: 11)

0 Dislike(s)

ADD A COMMENT (COMMENT POLICY) * DENOTES REQUIRED FIELD

* DENOTES REQUIRED FIELD

  • READER COMMENTS

    صفاء موسى

    2012-8-17

    It is the duty of all the Arab States to help the people of Syria and to provide them with aid and work together against Bashar Al-Assad and his corrupt and unjust associates and snipers to save the great Syrian people from this ordeal, into which he has put them into. That rascal, Bashar Al Assad, has changed the life of the Syrian people tragically, destroyed much of the Syrian State, and spread despair in the hearts of thousands of Syrians, but we trust in the ability of the brave Syrian people to resist this despicable man, to stand in his face and defeat him. So we call all the States of the world to provide assistance to the Syrian people. After all, the Syrian people are human beings of flesh and blood and it is their humanitarian right to find social solidarity from the Muslim and non-Muslim communities of the whole world and to stand in their line because they are humans before being Arabs and Muslims. We are here to review with you the most important ways of providing the required assistance to the Syrian people which would override and take them to the top until they conquer this scoundrel, Bashar Al-Assad, Allah willing..

  • محمد

    2012-8-7

    I strongly condemn the Arab silence, which is fragrantly noticed through the silence of the Arabs towards what is happening in Syria and what happens to the Syrians including the crimes of murder, robberies, raping of the freewomen. All what happens in Syria and the horrible and terrorist crimes that are being committed on daily basis should make the whole humanity feel ashamed, because this is very horrible, whether the crimes that are committed by the Syrian authorities or the terrorist and armed groups that appeared there. Syria witnessed the appetence of armed groups and fake threats about massacres that did not happen on the land of Syria.

  • علاء حسن

    2012-8-4

    I decry the strange and blatant silence on the part of the Arabs, as everyone remains silent over what is going on in Syria and what is happening to the Syrians in terms of the killing, looting and stealing and the capture of their women and all that things that they are being subjected to every day, and all the things that we see happening to them on a daily basis, and all the crimes and terrorist activities that are taking place in Syria regardless of which side is engaging in these acts, whether it be from the authorities or from the armed groups, as these are anti-human acts which have been mentioned in the report of the committee of international observers that has been sent to the Arab League. In it, it is mentioned that there are armed groups and false reports about massacres that did not happen in reality in Syria. Also, has the Arab-Israeli conflict turned into an Arab-Arab conflict, meaning that this is taking place among the Arabs? Since we Arabs, we should be united, and there should not be hatred or enmity or animosity between us. What we see taking place on the part of some of our Arab brothers is causing me much grief and sorrow. So, Arabs, take this advice from your little brother, as all of us Arabs have to love each other so that others would fear us, especially our enemies. Mutual love and compassion among us as Arabs and brothers will reflect positively on our mutual relationship as Arabs as well as our relationship with others and their respect for us as Arabs on the level of the whole world. I pray that Allah will bring us closer to each other as Arabs and Muslim brothers, and that he will remove any differences among the Arab nation, and the Arab and Muslim worlds have to decry this horrible silence vis-à-vis the atrocious crimes that are being perpetrated against the innocent Syrians.

  • علي سعد كاظم

    2012-8-4

    In general, the performance of the Iraqi Government is satisfactory and fills us with joy. Despite all the problems that cannot be solved, the Iraqi Government has succeeded in facing most of them and solving them thanks to its patience, determination, diligence, and perseverance. Eventually, it succeeded to lead Iraq to safety Thus, we ask the Iraqi Government to provide opportunities for the Iraqi youth who have made a lot of sacrifices for the sake of their homeland. This is in order to help achieve the “renaissance” of Iraq and push it forward and develop it at the technological and industrial fields as well as at all the other economic fields. Thus, Iraq can regain its position on the map of science, scientific research and be ranked among the developed countries. Therefore, we are optimistic about a promising future for the modern Iraqi State.

  • احمد سعد

    2012-8-4

    There is much silence towards the Syrian case and this reminds with the usual silence towards the other Arab cases. This is deliberate silence and the Syrian people want any help form the Arabs desperately. The European states paid attention to the cases of the Syrians more than the Arabs themselves did. How long will we remain so negative leaving our brothers to be killed worldwide? The Syrian regime kills and slaughters our and brothers and their children in Syria brutally, but the silence remains the dominant nature. Where is the role of the Arab League? Was it formed to make the Arabs keep silent or to solve the problems of the Arabs in general? Unfortunately, there are many Arab cases that have not been the complex. The Arab League must take many procedures against the Syrian regime such as boycotting it and expelling the Syrian ambassadors in their countries to severe the relations with this corrupt regime whose hands are stained with the blood of the innocents. The Syrian regime became a criminal regime became Nazi because it commits many crimes agent our brother sin Syria just because they objected to their ruler who causes them suffering and pervert that became rampant among the Syrians. This regime exceeded all the proper limits and became mad because he thinks that no one would ever touch it.

  • محمد نوري

    2012-8-4

    Many Iraqi citizens suffered from the crimes that turned their lives into help and destabilized their family life because the lack of security for them and their families. The Iraqi citizen suffered severe losses in lives and properties. The Iraqis are wronged in everything and they do not have the suitable services, security, or housing to live like all normal people. The Iraqi people need help to save them from the difficult conditions in which they live, especially the times that started with the war on Iraq, and which continued until today and even deteriorating from bad to worse. Many Iraqis suffer from the instable social life because living conditions are very bad and there are many families that cannot find the food because of the lack of the suitable jobs to the men of these families because of the high prices and inability of the goods at suitable prices that suit all citizens. There many problems that cause terrorism in Iraq and the suffering of the Iraqis will remain there as long as the terrorist movements continued working on spreading chaos in Iraq. I ask God to grant victory to our brothers in Iraq and to provide them with the security and stability. We want Iraq to be as secure as it was in the past.

  • علي نثیر

    2012-8-3

    The Iraqi people are suffering a lot and face real suffering because of the movements of terrorist and extremist organizations that were present in the State of Iraq recently and because of killing thousands of the Iraqi people, which led to the suffering of the people of Iraq with frequent and dangerous operations that affect the security of the Iraqi state and the safety of Iraqi citizens. Those operations carried out by the extremist movements of terrorist such as bombing operations that make the Iraqi people suffer a lot because of these bombings whose processes are various, including car bombings, which occur often next to government buildings, political and very important buildings in the State of Iraq, such as embassies and consulates. Therefore the Iraqi people are suffering from these terrorist bombings frequently. We have thousands of Iraqi citizens every day in such buildings, so the bombings are killing lots and lots of the Iraqi people. How much a mother may have suffered on the death of her son in such bombings and how many tears are shed over those who were killed in such explosions, and here we condemn strongly all these terrorist bombing attacks which are carried out by these terrorist groups and extremist movements on the territory of Iraq and the heroic brave fighters of the Iraqi people have suffered much at the hands of these terrorist attacks and terrorist bombings.