Syria ready to help Iraq fight terrorism: Ministry

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s government says it is prepared to help Baghdad in its fight against terrorism, a day after the takeover of Iraq’s Mosul by al-Qaeda-linked militants.
Damascus is “ready to cooperate with Iraq to face terrorism, our common enemy,” the Syrian foreign ministry said in a statement on Wednesday.
“The foreign-backed terrorism … in Iraq … is the same” targeting Syrian people, the ministry noted.
The remarks come against the backdrop of criminal operations by militants belonging to the so-called Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) in Mosul, the capital of Nineveh Province, as well as other parts of northern Iraq.
“This terrorism is a threat to peace and security in the region and the world,” said the Syrian ministry, calling on the UN Security Council “to … condemn these terrorist and criminal acts, and to take action against the countries supporting these groups.”
Takfiris have took control of Mosul’s government headquarters, security bases, and important buildings of the city.
Local sources have said nearly half a million escaped with many seeking refuge in the semi-autonomous Kurdistan region.
Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has asked the United Nations, the European Union, and the Arab League to help the country fight the terrorists.
Violence also raged elsewhere in the country with bombings and shootings across the country.
Iraq’s Interior Ministry has said that militants have launched an open war in Iraq with the aim of pushing the Middle Eastern country into chaos.