Baghdad: Newspapers in Baghdad on Thursday, January 22, highlighted the inspection tour conducted by the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani, along the Iraqi-Syrian border, amid growing attention to the repercussions of developments in Syria.
According to National Iraqi News Agency, Al-Zawraa newspaper, issued by the Iraqi Journalists Syndicate, reported that Prime Minister, Commander-in-Chief Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani carried out a field visit to the headquarters of the Border Forces, Sixth Region, in the Sinjar district. The visit came as part of an on-site tour to assess the readiness of Iraqi security forces deployed along the border strip in Anbar and Nineveh provinces.
An official statement cited by the newspaper noted that Al-Sudani chaired a meeting at the command headquarters, during which he received detailed briefings from the Minister of Interior, commanders of West Nineveh Operations, the Nineveh Axis of the Popular Mobilization Forces, the Sixth Region Border Forces,
and the Director of Military Intelligence. The briefings covered troop deployments, operational readiness within areas of responsibility, and the level of joint coordination to reinforce security plans and surveillance systems aimed at securing the border and pursuing remnants of terrorist groups.
The statement added that Al-Sudani expressed confidence in the ability of Iraq’s security forces, across all formations, to carry out their assigned duties in safeguarding the country’s security and sovereignty. He also affirmed continued support for border forces through the provision of equipment and logistical requirements to enhance their operational capabilities.
Al-Zawraa further noted that the Commander-in-Chief arrived at Ain Al-Asad Air Base in western Anbar province, days after it was handed over from the International Coalition. During the visit, he reviewed the levels of alert and field activity of the deployed units and attended the takeoff of a squadron of four F-16 fighter jets as part of a tactical
exercise involving reconnaissance, surveillance, patrol missions, and rapid response operations.
Regarding the repercussions of developments in Syria, Al-Sabah newspaper, issued by the Iraqi Media Network, highlighted Iraq’s receipt of the first batch of terrorist detainees previously held in Syrian prisons that had been under the control of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
The newspaper quoted the spokesperson for the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Sabah Al-Numan, as saying that the National Security Ministerial Council, during its most recent emergency meeting, approved, in coordination with the International Coalition to Combat ISIS, Iraq’s assumption of custody over terrorist detainees of Iraqi and other nationalities who had been held in prisons formerly controlled by the SDF, with their transfer to government-run correctional institutions.
Al-Numan added that the first batch, consisting of 150 terrorist elements, Iraqis and foreign nationals involved in crimes against innocent Iraqi civil
ians, has already been received. He noted that the number of subsequent batches will be determined at a later stage in accordance with ongoing security and field assessments, aimed at containing the threat posed by these individuals, many of whom are considered first-tier leaders within terrorist organizations.
Al-Sabah further reported that, in parallel with these measures, First Deputy Speaker of Parliament Adnan Fayhan Al-Dulaimi announced that a closed parliamentary session will be held early next week. The session will host the Ministers of Defense and Interior, along with senior security commanders, to assess levels of readiness and deployment plans, particularly in light of information regarding the escape of terrorist elements from prisons near the border.
Meanwhile, Al-Zaman newspaper pointed to growing Kurdish concerns over the recent developments in Syria.
In this context, the newspaper reported that Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani expressed his concern over the ongoing clashes in S
yria, calling on the International Coalition to fulfill its responsibilities and prevent the resurgence of ISIS elements.
Al-Zaman quoted Barzani as saying in a statement that the continuation of confrontations between Syrian regime forces and the Syrian Democratic Forces poses a serious threat to Syria’s security and stability, as well as to the wider region, and paves the way for the return of ISIS. He stressed the importance of continued engagement with regional and international parties to adopt dialogue and mutual understanding as the only viable solution to the crisis.
Barzani also called for the protection and safeguarding of the rights of Kurds and all other components, and for their guarantees to be enshrined in Syria’s future constitution.
In a related development, Al-Zaman addressed the position of the leader of the Shiite National Movement, Muqtada Al-Sadr, who urged Iraqi security forces to exercise the highest levels of vigilance along the Iraqi-Syrian border.
The newspaper noted that Al-Sad
r made direct contact with security forces and military units stationed along the border to assess their state of readiness amid the serious and rapidly evolving regional developments. He also called for the mobilization of all military, technical, and security capabilities to protect the border against any potential breach.