Iraq deploys armored units to Syria border amid rising tensions

Iraq has deployed armored military units along its border with Syria and Jordan in response to escalating violence in neighboring Syria, according to a security source.

"Armored units of the Iraqi Army have moved to reinforce the open border areas from the town of Al-Qaim, near Syria, to the Jordanian border," the source said, adding that the deployment follows similar reinforcements in western Nineveh Province, a region critical to border security, News.az reports, citing Shafaq News.

Last week, Iraq also deployed military reinforcements to Sinjar district in northwest Mosul to secure the Iraqi-Syrian border.

On Saturday, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani reaffirmed, in a phone call with Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad, that the security of Syria and Iraq are intertwined, expressing Iraq's readiness to “provide all necessary support to Syria in facing terrorism and all its organizations.”

The move comes as Syria witnesses intensified conflict, particularly in the Aleppo countryside. Clashes erupted on Nov. 27 between opposition armed factions and government forces.

Rebel factions, predominantly aligned with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, swiftly captured swathes of Idlib Province, including major cities like Ma'arrat al-Numan and Khan Sheikhoun. By Friday, they had entered Aleppo, seizing strategic locations such as Saadallah al-Jabiri Square, government offices, police stations, and the historic Aleppo Citadel.

In response, the Syrian army has launched counteroffensives, regaining control of most villages in the Hama countryside and focusing on securing the Athriyah-Khanasir-Safira road, a vital supply route in southern Aleppo.

News.Az