PMF chief arrives in Iraq's Al-Anbar to “assess” border security with Syria

Shafaq News/ On Friday, Iraq's Al-Hashd Al-Shaabi (Popular Mobilization Forces-PMF) chief Faleh al-Fayyad arrived in the Al-Qaim region of Al-Anbar province, accompanied by several PMF leaders.

According to a statement from the PMF's media directorate, al-Fayyad was received by a group of security officials.

“The visit aims to inspect operational sectors and assess the fortifications and security measures along the border strip with Syria,” the statement explained.

Following the retreat of the Syrian army under the Al-Assad regime, which collapsed within days in the face of opposition armed groups, Iraq fears a recurrence of the mid-2014 scenario when ISIS seized nearly a third of the country, driven by the spillover of the prolonged Syrian conflict between the regime and opposition factions.

In response, Iraqi forces have strengthened their presence along the Syrian border with defense measures, including barbed wire, fences, concrete barriers, trenches, and thermal cameras to prevent infiltrations and attacks.