Iraq bulks up border presence as IS escapees try to enter
Iraqi forces have sent reinforcements to the border area and are engaging in nightly artillery strikes on IS positions in eastern Syria ahead of an expected US pullout in the near future.
As the battle for a few square miles of Islamic State (IS) territory left on the Syrian side of Baghouz continues, Iraqi security forces have stepped up their border presence to prevent infiltration.
Attempts to seal the border have taken on critical importance after reports that the United States plans to pull its troops out of eastern Syria by April.
During a visit to the border on Feb. 7, an officer from the Iraqi army’s 8th division who asked to be identified as Maj. Ibrahim told Al-Monitor that about 10 airstrikes from the international anti-IS coalition had been conducted over the past 24 hours.
IS fighters “are trying to cross this border,” he said, “but we are hitting back at them and the Syrian Democratic Forces [SDF] are doing the same on the other side.”
