Source: Over 100 Iraqi police deployed to protect Iraq-Syria border for 15 days

Shafaq News/ More than 100 Iraqi police personnel from Saladin, north of Baghdad, have begun duties to protect the Iraq-Syria border, a responsible source in the province announced on Monday.

The source told Shafaq News, "Following instructions from Interior Minister Abdul Amir al-Shammari and direct supervision by the province's Police Chief, a force from the emergency battalions of the Saladin Police Command has been deployed under the Sixth Border Guard Command for 15 days."

"A second batch of 150 police personnel has started its duties to protect the Iraq-Syria border, supporting the units deployed along it," he added.

On December 15, Saladin Police sent the first batch of 150 police personnel to the Iraq-Syria border.

Following the collapse of the Syrian regime on December 8, 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 bolstered their presence along the Syrian border with defense measures such as barbed wire, fences, concrete barriers, trenches, and thermal cameras to prevent infiltrations and attacks. Several security leaders have confirmed the border’s full security through intensified deployments and have visited the area to oversee the efforts and ensure protection against potential breaches."