The so-called Syrian Salvation Government assured on Monday the Iraqi government and people that its operations inside Syria are not a threat to Iraq.
The government is situated in regions held by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group that has made significant advances in Aleppo, capturing Syria’s second city from the Damascus regime.
The lightning offensive by the group and allied factions saw government forces lose full control of Aleppo for the first time since the civil war began in 2011.
The attacks have caused unease in Iraq, which still bears the scars of decades of conflict, including the rise of the ISIS group. In June 2014, armed groups and ISIS breached Iraq from Syria and occupied nearly a third of Iraqi territory.
The Iraqi government condemned the advance of armed factions in Syria, expressing its support to Damascus.
The Salvation Government’s statement has raised more questions about the danger Iraq could be exposed to should the factions continue their advances on the ground and whether they will limit their ambitions to Syria or eye neighboring countries.
Observers are awaiting a “positive signal” from Baghdad towards the message because, as it stands, the government and the majority of political forces are very wary of the “extremist” groups in Syria, especially those with ties to al-Qaeda and ISIS, and are openly hostile to them.
They are viewed as a direct threat to the political system in Iraq that is dominated by Shiite forces, while the majority of the population views them as “terrorist groups that are following a regional and sectarian agenda.”
The people have had bitter experiences with such groups for over two decades, reaching a peak when ISIS swept through Iraq in 2014, said several Iraqi politicians.
Some of the officials said it was likely that the Syrian groups would keep a distance from the Iraqi government and other official circles from the battle against the Syrian army even though Iraqi armed factions have been fighting alongside the Damascus regime for years.
Iraq’s ministerial national council held an emergency meeting on Sunday to discuss the regional developments.
Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, who chaired the meeting, was briefed on the border fortifications with Syria.
Meanwhile, the majority of official Iraqi sources underscored the Iraqi armed forces’ ability to confront any infiltration attempt by armed groups from Syria, citing the intensified fortifications and security measures that have been implemented in recent years.
