Iraq tightens Syria border control after massive IS jailbreak
Measures have been stepped up along the border with Syria in the now-defunct Islamic State leader’s native province to prevent hundreds of prison escapees from slipping across.
After hundreds of alleged Islamic State (IS) fighters escaped detention facilities in northeastern Syria in an attack in late January, Iraq says it has stepped up control of its western border.
The focus has been on Ninevah province, the birthplace of the now-defunct IS leader known as Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Quraishi. Quraishi reportedly blew himself up early Feb. 3 during a US Special Forces raid on his hideout in northwestern Syria.
The Iraqi intelligence services had, allegedly with the assistance of their Turkish counterparts, captured a close associate of Quraishi in October 2021 and brought him back to the country for interrogation.
In a Jan. 31 security briefing, the commander of the Iraqi Border Guard Forces, Lt. Gen. Hamid al-Husseini, stated, "The forces have begun to develop a strategic plan to control the borders with Syria. The borders are entirely monitored by thermal cameras.”
