Sources: Damascus denies border alert near Iraq; Baghdad monitors

Shafaq News- Damascus/ Baghdad

The Syrian Defense Ministry denied on Tuesday that military movements near the Iraqi border reflected a state of alert or an emergency security situation, describing them as troop redeployments carried out under approved military plans.

A Defense Ministry source told Shafaq News that the routine measures include repositioning Syrian army units and columns, testing operational readiness, and reorganizing force deployments.

An Iraqi security source, meanwhile, told Shafaq News that military mobilization inside Syrian territory opposite Iraq has continued for more than 72 hours and involves various military formations, including armored units and vehicles.

Iraqi security forces are closely monitoring developments and have adopted corresponding precautionary measures to reinforce frontier security and maintain operational readiness, he added.

The Syria-Iraq border stretches for about 600 kilometers and includes three main official land crossings: Al-Yarubiyah–Rabia, linking Al-Hasakah and Nineveh; Al-Bukamal–Al-Qaim, connecting Deir ez-Zor and Al-Anbar; and Al-Tanf–Al-Waleed near the Syria-Iraq-Jordan tri-border area. The Semalka–Faysh Khabur crossing over the Tigris River also links northeastern Syria with the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.