Source: Iraqi Intelligence Head arrives in Damascus for talks with new Syrian administration

Shafaq News/ The Head of the Iraqi National Intelligence Service (INIS), Hamid Al-Shatri, arrived in Damascus to meet with Syria's new administration, a well-informed political source revealed on Thursday.

The source told Shafaq News, "A high-level delegation from the INIS, led by its head, arrived at the People's Palace in Damascus to meet with the new Syrian administration.”

The source did not provide further details.

Iraqi officials remain deeply concerned about the implications of al-Assad’s fall, particularly with opposition factions, some linked to extremist groups like Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), previously known as 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.

However, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani confirmed that his government is "assessing" the situation in Syria to make "necessary decisions" regarding the latest developments.