On June 13, the Chief of Staff of the Iraqi Army General, Osman Al-Ghanmi, met with a high-level delegation from the Syrian Ministry of Defense, headed by the Commander of the Syrian Army Operations Staff. The sides discussed the coordination and security cooperation between Syria and Iraq.
The Iraqi and Syrian officers discussed the situation in the Iraqi-Syrian theater of operations and a cooperation against a mutual enemy represented by the ISIS terrorist group. The two parties stressed that the elimination of ISIS requires more cooperation and coordination in the exchange of intelligence and border control by the regular forces of the Iraqi and Syrian armies to maintain continuous pressure on the enemy.
The Iraqi and Syrian officers discussed the establishment of a joint operation center for coordination between the two sides and providing up-to-date information about military developments in Mosul and other frontns, including Syria.
The head of the Syrian operations Staff congratulated the Iraqi Army on its latest achievements in Mosul, praising the capabilities of the Iraqi security forces in the battles against terrorism.
He also praised the strength of the relationship between the two brotherly countries and the continuation of cooperation in the military and other fields for the benefit of the Iraqi and Syrian peoples. The goal of the cooperation is to maintain security and stability and to prevent the passage of terrorist elements inside the territories of both countries.
On June 9, the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) managed to reach the Syrian-Iraqi border north of Al Tanf for the first time since 2015, and within a few days’ Iraqi forces met with the Syrian forces and reopened a road between Iraq and Syria.
Moreover, coordinated operations of the SAA and the Iraqi Popular Mobilization Units soon will likely be launched in the Syrian-Iraqi border area.
