Shafaq News/ More than 100 Iraqi police personnel from Saladin,north of Baghdad, have begun duties to protect the Iraq-Syria border, a responsible source in the province's police announced on Sunday.

The source told Shafaq News, "Following instructions from Interior Minister Abdul Amir al-Shammari and direct supervision by the province's Police Chief, a force from the emergency battalions of the Saladin Police Command has been deployed under the Sixth Border Guard Command for 15 days."

"150 police personnel have started their duties to protect the Iraq-Syria border, supporting the units deployed along the border,” he added.

Notably, Iraqi officials remain deeply concerned about the implications of Bashar al-Assad’s fall, particularly with opposition factions, some linked to extremist groups like Jabhat al-Nusra, taking control in Syria. The potential for heightened militant activity along the Iraq-Syria border has prompted Iraq to deploy military reinforcements to the area.

Officials warn that a security vacuum in post-Assad Syria could be exploited by extremist groups to expand their influence, posing major risks to Iraq and the broader region.