The Syrian army's takeover of areas previously under the control of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces has caused concern in Iraq about an ISIS resurgence and scope for terrorist infiltration, prompting calls for security to be strengthened on the border.
Syrian government forces have pushed the SDF out of two key provinces and taken control of major producing oilfields in a sweeping offensive in the east of the country.
The fighting led on Sunday to a ceasefire between the government and the SDF. The agreement stipulates that the SDF cedes control in these areas and merges with the country’s new military, but not as a single unit.
Shiite cleric and former militia leader Moqtada Al Sadr late on Sunday urged Iraqi political parties to “put aside your disputes … and pay attention to the dangers around you,” calling for troops to be sent to the border area.
“What’s happening in Syria, near Iraq’s borders, is not something to be taken lightly, it must be taken seriously,” Mr Al Sadr said in a statement. “The danger is imminent and terrorism is supported by global arrogance.
“Iraq should not be neglected, otherwise it will be the beginning of the end”.
The sweeping military offensive that led Syrian forces to seize the provinces of Deir Ezzor and Raqqa came after months of stalled negotiations between Damascus and the SDF, despite a March agreement between SDF commander Mazloum Abdi and Syrian President Ahmad Al Shara.
After the fall of former Syrian president Bashar Al Assad in December 2024, in an offensive led by Mr Al Shara’s Hayat Tahrir Al Sham, a largely Sunni alliance formerly affiliated with Al Qaeda, Iraq sent troops and strengthened the border with concrete walls, trenches, surveillance systems and thermal cameras to prevent smuggling and terrorist activities.
Iraqi state media have shown security forces patrolling the border as security authorities assured that the borders are “fully secured and under the control of security forces”.
The Border Security Command “is implementing its duties based on plans that rely on advanced surveillance systems, technical procedures, and field fortifications to ensure high levels of security and stability along the border,” said a statement.
Iraqi security forces have "established successive and fortified defence lines, with various Iraqi security units and specialised personnel deployed along the borders", it added.
ISIS cells are understood to be active in Syria, with the ability to launch lethal attacks. Prisons in Syria holding suspected members and their families have until now been under the control of the SDF, but recent instability in the area has raised concerns. The SDF has warned that ISIS may seek to exploit the tension.
Last month, ISIS ambushed American personnel inside Syria, killing two US soldiers and an interpreter. Since then, American forces have expanded their operations against the extremist group, carrying out a series of large-scale strikes in the country.
The latest events in Syria came as the Iraqi government announced that US forces have withdrawn from bases within the country’s federal territory, in line with a US-Iraqi agreement reached in 2024.
The agreement was for US troops to vacate Ain Al Asad airbase in Anbar province near the border with Syria and another base at Baghdad International Airport by last month.
The US troops have now departed, Iraqi Defence Ministry announced, leaving the installations under the full control of Iraqi security forces.
Foreign troops within the US-led international coalition set up to fight ISIS will continue operating from the Kurdistan Region of Iraq until September, as per the agreement.
