Baghdad (The Palestine Telegraph Newspaper) - Iraq has
deployed additional military units and engineering assets along its border with
Syria following intensified violence in northeast Syria involving
Turkish-backed forces and US-supported Kurdish militias. The Iraqi Ministry of
Defence announced fortified positions across Nineveh and Diyala provinces to
prevent spillover of cross-border militant activity. Prime Minister Mohammed
Shia al-Sudani convened the Supreme Security Committee to coordinate national
defence enhancements.
Iraqi Army 16th Division reinforced 45 kilometres of
frontier fencing with concrete barriers and observation towers between Rabia
and Sinjar crossings. Border Guard Brigades 5 and 12 received drone
surveillance systems monitoring 120 kilometres of porous desert frontier.
Popular Mobilisation Forces units deployed to interior security perimeters 30
kilometres from international boundary.
Iraqi military deployment details across Syria frontier
Credit: Ari Jalal/Reuters
Ministry of Defence confirmed 4,200 additional troops including 16th Mechanised Division, 66th Brigade and 8th Federal Police Division. Engineering Directorate installed 23 kilometres of new razor wire fencing supplemented by vehicle-borne improvised explosive device barriers. Tharthar-Mosul Dam corridor established as secondary defence line accommodating 12,000 personnel.
Counter-Terrorism Service air assault companies maintain
rapid reaction capability with 45-minute response times. Iraqi Air Force F-16s
conducted 18 combat air patrols averaging four sorties daily over Anbar desert.
Mi-17 helicopters transport 220 personnel per rotation supporting forward
operating bases.
Northeast Syria violence context prompting Iraqi response
Turkish Defence Ministry reported Operation Dawn of Freedom
targeting YPG positions around Tal Rifaat and Manbij since 12 January 2026.
Syrian Democratic Forces claimed 340 combatant casualties from Turkish
artillery and drone strikes. US Central Command confirmed 2,800 troops
repositioned to 12 fire bases maintaining Kobane-Al Hasakah axis.
Islamic State sleeper cells activated conducting 14 attacks
against Syrian National Army positions. Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham advanced towards
Deir ez-Zor securing 67 kilometres of frontline. Iraqi National Intelligence
Service tracked 2,100 foreign terrorist fighters transiting Syria-Iraq frontier
since October 2025.
Border security infrastructure upgrades and engineering works
Credit: AA Photo
Diwaniyah Military Engineering Command completed 180 kilometre triple-layer fence system incorporating thermal imaging cameras. Fish Eye 360-degree surveillance systems deployed across 34 border posts processing 1,200 vehicle crossings daily. Sinjar Mountain ridgeline fortified with 17 concrete bunkers housing YZ-100 anti-drone systems.
Rabia border crossing upgraded with biometric identification
terminals screening 4,500 travellers daily. Al-Qaim facility expanded to
accommodate 1,200 trucks processing $2.1 billion annual trade volume. Nineveh
Operations Command established 12 mobile checkpoint teams patrolling desert access
roads.
Popular Mobilisation Forces interior defence deployments
Hashed al-Shaabi 45th Brigade secured Baaj district 45
kilometres from Syrian frontier maintaining 2,100 personnel. 14th Brigade
deployed to Kirkuk-Tuz Khurmatu axis monitoring Islamic State infiltration
routes. 88th Brigade established 23 kilometre security buffer zone encircling
Sinjar town centre.
Coordination centres integrate Hashd intelligence with
Ministry of Interior Rapid Response units. Interior Ministry allocated 680
Toyota Land Cruisers equipped with 12.7mm machine guns for desert patrol
duties. Joint task forces process 2,400 intelligence leads monthly through
National Operations Centre.
Counter-terrorism operations targeting cross-border threats
Counter-Terrorism Service apprehended 67 Islamic State
operatives attempting frontier crossings since 3 January 2026. Federal Police
Special Weapons Teams neutralised 14 vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices
targeting border posts. Drone strikes eliminated 23 militants transiting Anbar
desert smuggling routes.
Iraqi Army 20th Division conducted 340 cordon-and-search
operations clearing 1,200 square kilometres. Intelligence-driven raids
recovered 2,100 kilograms of C-4 explosives and 450 AK-47 rifles. 1,800
detainees processed through Camp Speicher screening facility.
Syrian Democratic Forces coordination challenges with Baghdad
SDF Commander Mazloum Abdi requested Iraqi border
coordination through Amman channel denied by Defence Minister Thabit al-Abbasi.
US State Department confirmed 14 liaison officers embedded with Nineveh
Operations Command. Kurdish Regional Government Peshmerga units patrol 67
kilometres of shared frontier under tripartite protocols.
Qamishli-Tel Brak axis designated as mutual deconfliction
zone prohibiting SDF patrols within 15 kilometres of international boundary.
Iraqi government maintains non-interference policy regarding Turkish-SDF
engagements 120 kilometres from frontier.
Turkish military operations influencing Iraqi positioning
Turkish Armed Forces Gendarmerie Commando Brigades 1 and 3
maintain 23 outposts within 10 kilometres of Iraqi frontier. T-129 ATAK
helicopters logged 1,200 flight hours supporting ground operations. Bayraktar
TB2 drones neutralised 340 PKK/YPG positions since 8 December 2025.
Ankara-Baghdad security cooperation agreement stipulates
intelligence sharing on PKK movements. Turkish MIT provided coordinates
facilitating 18 Iraqi airstrikes against Kandil Mountain camps. Joint border
commission scheduled quarterly meetings coordinating drone flight paths.
Islamic State resurgence patterns and Iraqi countermeasures
Islamic State provincial emirs relocated 2,100 operatives to
Hajin-Bukamal desert triangle. VBIED factories identified in 14 caves along
Euphrates River valley. Iraqi 7th Division destroyed 67 logistic nodes
supplying Mosul-Anbar attack cells.
National Room for Reactivation of the Judiciary processed
1,200 terrorism convictions averaging 14-year sentences. High Judicial Council
designated 340 properties supporting IS finance networks for seizure. Central
Bank froze 45 bank accounts holding $2.8 million designated funds.
US-led coalition support to Iraqi border security
Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve
delivered 180 Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles through Baghdad
International Airport. US Special Operations Command Forward embedded 45
instructors training Iraqi Golden Division companies. RQ-20 Puma drones logged
2,400 hours supporting border surveillance operations.
Joint intelligence fusion cell processes 1,800 tips monthly
achieving 67% operational success rate. $120 million Foreign Military Financing
supports 12th Brigade equipment modernisation. 340 M4 carbines and 1,200
AN/PVS-31 night vision devices delivered January 2026.
Kurdish Regional Government frontier defence coordination
Credit: Getty
Peshmerga 1st and 5th Brigades maintain 180 kilometre Zero Line preventing IS re-infiltration. Erbil-Baghdad Joint Coordination Centre exchanges biometric data on 4,500 watchlisted individuals. KRG Ministry of Peshmerga Affairs deployed 2,100 additional personnel to Pirmam tunnel complex.
Fish Khabur bridge crossing processes 1,800 vehicles daily
under dual Iraqi-KRG inspection regime. Dohuk Operations Command established 12
forward observation posts linking with Nineveh Plains Protection Units.
Humanitarian considerations and civilian border movements
International Organization for Migration recorded 14,200
Iraqi returns from Syria since November 2025. United Nations High Commissioner
for Refugees maintains Rabia reception centre capacity for 5,400 individuals.
Norwegian Refugee Council distributed shelter kits to 8,200 border communities.
World Food Programme trucked 2,100 metric tonnes of wheat
flour through Al-Qaim crossing. International Medical Corps field hospitals
treated 12,400 casualties from cross-border incidents. Protection cluster
registered 3,800 vulnerable individuals for relocation assistance.
International diplomatic engagements on border security
Arab League Defence Ministers issued
Cairo Declaration supporting Iraqi sovereignty along Syrian frontier. United Nations
Assistance Mission in Iraq commended frontier stabilisation efforts during 18
January Security Council briefing. European Union Military Advisory Mission
embedded 12 border security specialists with 16th Division.
Five Eyes intelligence partnership shared 2,100 signals
intelligence reports identifying Syrian-based facilitators. Jordanian Border
Guard Force conducted 14 joint training exercises focusing on vehicle-borne
improvised explosive device recognition.