Iraq expands border shield following Syria escalation

Shafaq News- Baghdad

Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) reinforced their presence along the border with Syria, the group said on Monday.

In a statement, the PMF confirmed that its 25th Brigade had been deployed as part of a broader security plan designed to support Iraqi forces as well as strengthening intelligence and field operations. The move aims to safeguard national security and prevent illegal groups from exploiting border vulnerabilities, it added.

Formed in 2014 following a religious edict from Grand Ayatollah Ali Al-Sistani after the fall of Mosul to ISIS, the PMF brought together thousands of volunteers with existing forces under a government-sanctioned structure.

Earlier, Muqtada Al-Sadr, leader of Iraq’s Patriotic Shiite Movement (PSM), warned against handling the situation in Syria “naively,” urging authorities to secure borders and deploy reinforcements promptly.

The warning comes amid escalating tensions in northeastern Syria, where clashes between the Syrian army and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) left dozens dead or injured and forced thousands of Kurdish families to flee their homes. Meanwhile, Syria’s transitional President Ahmad Al-Sharaa signed a new agreement with the SDF, ending the recent clashes and paving the way for the group’s integration into state institutions.