Source: ina.iq

On August 31^th, 2021, the Iraqi army launched a military operation to secure the country’s borders with Syria.

The commander of the Iraqi Border Guards, Hamid al-HUSSEINI said in statement for the official Iraqi News Agency that the operation aims to secure the border area between Iraq and Syria. To the operation code-named “Revenge of the Martyrs” will participate military forces, border guards and the pro-government Hashd Shaabi militia.

Lt Gen Hamid Al HUSSEINI told Iraq’s News Agency that: “The military’s three components are taking part in the operation, they are the border forces command, the Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF), and the army’s aviation sector”.

The PMF is a coalition of militia groups, that was formed in 2014 to fight ISIS alongside the Iraqi Army. It was formally incorporated into the Iraqi Security Forces in 2017, but many of the groups are backing by Iran.

The Iraqi Army has been attempting for years to clear the desert bordering Syria of ISIS, in a bid to combat the group’s remaining sleeper cells. Iraq has 600 kilometer borders with Syria with the ISIS and PKK terror groups having active presence in that area.

Remnants and cells of ISIS are still active stage hit-and-run attacks or plant explosives across the Iraq despite the Iraqi government announced the victory over ISIS over 2017.

Iraq has increased the use of high-tech thermal cameras and observation balloons military officials said.

Its military finds itself in the difficult position of needing to co-ordinate with state paramilitaries that include Iran-backed groups that are facing off with Israel and the US and transferring weapons and personnel across the frontier.

This article was edited using data from the following website: Ina.iq, Aa.com.tr, Thenationalnews.com, Tasnimnews.com, and News.cn