Syrian Soldiers Impose Control over 150km of Borderline with Iraq

The Russian General Staff said that the Syrian government forces have successfully taken back control of a 150-kilometer (93 miles) stretch of Syria’s border with Iraq, adding that four border posts and 22 checkpoints have also been set up.

“To date, control of the 150-kilometer stretch of the Syrian-Iraqi border has been restored. Four border posts and 22 checkpoints have been set up. This allowed to significantly reduce the capabilities of the ISIL to transfer militants and weapons from Iraq to Syria,” chief of the Russian General Staff’s Main Operational Directorate Col. Gen. Sergei Rudskoy said at a news briefing.

Rudskoy stressed that the Syrian government troops also took control over 211 kilometers of the Syrian-Jordanian border in Sweida and Damascus provinces.

Moreover, some 20,000 square kilometers of the Syrian territory was freed from terrorists in the past 2 months, which is 40 percent of whole liberated territory, Rudskoy said.

Since June, the Syrian government forces have liberated 55 towns from ISIL in Aleppo province.

“In the Northeastern part of Aleppo province, in the area of the Euphrates River, the Syrian armed forces continue an offensive against the ISIL terrorists. At least 55 populated areas have been liberated in the region since June 1,” Rudskoy said.

A well-placed military source said last week that the army dispatched hundreds of fresh soldiers to Southeastern Damascus to join the pro-government force’s imminent operation against terrorists near the border with Iraq.

The sources said that the army sent hundreds of fresh reinforcements to Southeastern Damascus to reinvigorate its front at border with Iraq.

The sources added that a part of the dispatched force would be responsible for restoring more security to the liberated regions.

The sources pointed to the ceasefire in Southern Syria and added that a number of the fresh forces were to stand on alert to respond to any possible threats posed by the US-backed militants in the region.

He further said that the army forces would launch an imminent anti-terrorism operation near the border with Iraq.