Iraq Building Syria Wall to Keep out ISIS Fighters

An Iraqi soldier patrols the border with Syria on January 27. Reuters
An Iraqi soldier patrols the border with Syria on January 27. Reuters
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Iraq Building Syria Wall to Keep out ISIS Fighters

An Iraqi soldier patrols the border with Syria on January 27. Reuters
An Iraqi soldier patrols the border with Syria on January 27. Reuters

Iraq is building a concrete wall along part of its border with Syria to stop ISIS group militants from infiltrating, an Iraqi military source said Sunday.

In the "first stage" of construction, a wall around "a dozen kilometers (seven miles) long and 3.5 meters (11 feet) high was built in Nineveh province", in the Sinjar area of northwest Iraq, a senior officer told AFP, requesting anonymity.

Iraq, which shares a more than 600-kilometer long border with Syria, seeks to "put a stop to the infiltration of ISIS members" into its territory, the source added, without specifying how long the wall would eventually run.

Iraq in 2018 said it had begun building a fence along the Syrian border for the same reason.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based war monitor, said the wall's construction was carried out in an area facing the town of Al-Shaddadi, in the south of Syria's Hasakeh province.

In January in the Kurdish-controlled province, ISIS fighters attacked a prison to free fellow militants, sparking days of clashes that left hundreds dead.

Many prisoners are thought to have escaped, with some crossing to neighboring Turkey or Turkish-held territory in Syria's north, the Observatory said.

ISIS overran large swathes of Iraq and Syria in 2014, declaring a "caliphate" before Baghdad proclaimed victory in late 2017 after a grinding campaign.

But a low-level insurgency has persisted, flaring up particularly in rural and mountainous areas between Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan region and northern outskirts of the capital.



Lavrov: Moscow Maintains Communication with Damascus, Will Not Withdraw from the Region

Syrian forces stop a car at a checkpoint after taking control of the port of Tartus earlier this month. (AFP)
Syrian forces stop a car at a checkpoint after taking control of the port of Tartus earlier this month. (AFP)
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Lavrov: Moscow Maintains Communication with Damascus, Will Not Withdraw from the Region

Syrian forces stop a car at a checkpoint after taking control of the port of Tartus earlier this month. (AFP)
Syrian forces stop a car at a checkpoint after taking control of the port of Tartus earlier this month. (AFP)

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov reaffirmed Russia’s commitment to the Middle East, stating that Moscow “has not and will not withdraw from the region.” He emphasized ongoing communication with Syria’s new leadership and expressed readiness to support the political process in the country.

Speaking at a press conference in Moscow on Tuesday, Lavrov attributed Syria’s deteriorating situation to the previous regime, blaming its unwillingness to implement reforms and share power with the opposition.

“The refusal of the former Syrian regime to make any changes or share power with the opposition was one of the primary reasons for its collapse,” he said.

Lavrov noted that over the past decade, since President Bashar al-Assad requested Russian intervention in the Syrian war and the launch of the Astana peace process, Damascus had delayed advancing the political path.

“Despite support from Arab nations, Syrian authorities showed reluctance to move forward politically and sought to maintain the status quo,” he explained.

He highlighted Russia’s repeated calls for the Syrian government to engage with the Constitutional Committee, established during the 2018 Syrian National Dialogue Congress in Sochi, and to actively work on drafting a new constitution.

Lavrov also pointed to economic challenges exacerbated by sanctions, which have stifled Syria’s economy, and US control over oil-rich eastern regions. Resources were exploited to fuel separatist ambitions in northeastern Syria, he remarked.

Moreover, the FM revealed details of Moscow’s earlier discussions with Kurdish groups, reiterating his country’s position that Kurdish rights should be guaranteed within the constitutional frameworks of Syria, Iraq, Iran and Türkiye.

He argued that the previous Syrian regime’s reluctance to engage in political dialogue resulted in stalled reforms proposed by the United Nations, Moscow and Cairo platforms, and Istanbul-based opposition groups. This inaction, he said, created a vacuum that ultimately led to the collapse.

Furthermore, he dismissed claims that his country’s withdrawal from Syria would signal its departure from the Middle East.

“Russia has not and will not leave the region,” he declared. Without directly addressing the status of Russian military bases in Syria, Lavrov emphasized: “Our embassy never left Damascus, and we maintain ongoing communication with the authorities.”

He also stressed Russia’s willingness to facilitate inclusive dialogue involving all national, political and sectarian factions, as well as relevant international stakeholders. Lavrov underscored that recent discussions with Türkiye, Gulf nations, and other parties demonstrated widespread agreement that Russia and Iran must be involved in the Syrian peace process if sustainable results are to be achieved.

For his part, Mikhail Bogdanov, Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister and Special Presidential Envoy to the Middle East and Africa, reaffirmed Russia’s focus on developments in Syria, describing relations with Damascus as a “priority of Russian foreign policy.”

Reports on Tuesday suggested that Bogdanov might soon lead a Russian delegation to Damascus. However, a Russian diplomatic source informed Asharq Al-Awsat that no date for the visit has been confirmed. The visit, which was reportedly postponed, would mark the first by a senior Russian official to Damascus since the fall of Assad’s regime in December.

Meanwhile, media reports indicated that Moscow is facing logistical challenges in withdrawing military equipment from Syria, due to restrictions imposed by Syrian authorities on the movement of Russian ships in territorial waters.

According to the English-language edition of RT, the Russian ship Sparta 2, designated to transport military equipment and weapons, was denied entry to the Port of Tartus, where Russia maintains its only overseas naval base.