“2014 scenario will not be repeated,” Iraqi MP says as military reinforcements arrive in Sinjar

Shafaq News/ Military reinforcements have arrived in the Western Nineveh Operations Sector in Sinjar, near the Syrian border, Iraqi MP Naif al-Shammari from Nineveh confirmed on Sunday.

Al-Shammari told Shafaq News, "Military reinforcements, including two brigades—one from the Iraqi army and the other from the federal police—arrived in Sinjar and the Western Nineveh Operations Sector to secure the border."

Referring to ISIS's seizure of vast territories across Iraq and Syria in 2014, he affirmed that "the 2014 scenario will not be repeated, and no foreign force will set foot on Iraqi soil,” attributing the events to “open borders, secret informants, and corrupt leaders focused on collecting money and extorting the people—a situation that no longer exists.”

“The people of Nineveh stand united with the security forces in all their branches and formations and will defend Iraq side by side until the last breath if it faces any threat,” he stated.

Al-Shammari explained, “All indicators show that the people of Nineveh, including tribes, elders, and youth, are ready to defend all of Iraq, not just Nineveh, against any attempt to harm it, after enduring the injustice and terrorism of ISIS.”

Earlier, a security source told our agency that the 101st Brigade of the 25th Armored Division had arrived in Sinjar (northwest of Mosul) to secure the Iraqi-Syrian border following heightened conflict in Syria’s Aleppo, Idlib, and Hama regions.

In Syria, the conflict has intensified since November 27, when Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which originated from Jabhat al-Nusra (al-Qaeda's Syrian affiliate,) launched an offensive in western Aleppo. Opposition forces rapidly advanced, capturing key locations in Aleppo city, including Saadallah Al-Jabiri Square and Aleppo Castle. By Saturday, HTS and allied factions had secured full control over Idlib province, seizing strategic towns such as Ma'arrat al-Nu'man and Khan Sheikhoun.

The Syrian Army confirmed it is preparing for a counteroffensive, describing the current clashes as one of the most intense escalations in the region since 2020.