Karboli to control borders in Al-Qa’im

Shafaq News / Today Jamal Karboli, the leader of Al-Hal party, has demanded the Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi to deploy army forces at the Al-Qa’im border-crossing to end the domination of militias.

In a statement received by Shafaq news agency, Al Karboli said “The militias which dominate Al-Qa’im turned the district into an area to smuggle oil, arms and drug, threatening the security of the citizens, and exposing the country's economy to sabotage”.

According to press reports last month, “a group of Kata'ib Hezbollah crossed the borders from Syria into Al-Qa’im with trucks under their protection, and beat a number of customs officials, after refusing to pay customs fees. The incident prompted officials to close the borders and suspend work for hours.”

Hezbollah is accused of smuggling arms and logistical Iranian supports to Syria, and of benefiting from large-scale operations taking place in the Al-Qa’im.

It is noteworthy that Al-Qa’im is the largest border-second of Iraq with Syria in size, and it is currently used for commercial transport and by travelers, but the activities have decreased about 80% comparing with how it used to be before the closure that lasted 6 years.