Shafaq News– Nineveh
Iraqi border forces have recorded no suspicious movement or infiltration attempts from Syria, the commander of the Sixth Border Guard Region told Shafaq News on Thursday, stressing orders to “respond decisively” to any breach.
Brig. Gen. Staff Ali Abdul Shia Al-Tamimi, speaking from the Iraqi–Syrian frontier, said the Nineveh sector is “secure” due to layered field and technical defenses. “Units are positioned along the zero line in the Abu Jirays area south of Sinjar Mountain, supported by earth berms, a concrete barrier, and electronic surveillance covering the entire border strip,” he noted, adding that a second defensive belt, comprising formations from the Iraqi Army and the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) —a state-sanctioned umbrella of mostly Shiite armed groups— backs the front line under close coordination.
Citing advanced training and field experience among deployed personnel, Al-Tamimi described operations as routine but conducted at “heightened readiness.”
Read more: Syria’s calm: An end to threat or a start of a complex security phase for Iraq?
Earlier today, Army Chief of Staff Gen. Abdul Amir Rashid Yarallah arrived in Sinjar with a senior delegation to assess border security. The visit included directives to tighten counter-infiltration measures, reinforce units, and intensify intelligence activity.
Concerns have resurfaced following clashes between Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and government troops in northeastern Syria near detention sites holding members of ISIS and their families. US Central Command (CENTCOM) reported the start of a “safe and systematic” transfer of about 7,000 ISIS detainees from Syria to “secure” facilities in Iraq, characterizing the move as coordinated with Iraqi authorities. Although territorially defeated in 2017, ISIS remains active as an insurgent network, particularly in desert and rural areas of Diyala, Kirkuk, Saladin, and Al-Anbar. The Joint Operations Command reported dozens of operations and airstrikes in 2025 that killed more than 90 militants, including senior figures.