Albukamal-AlQaim border-crossing opening postponed to the beginning of next month

On Wednesday, an Iraqi official said that the reopening of Albukamal-al-Qaim border-crossing between Syria and Iraq has been postponed until September 7 for logistical reasons which will be resolved soon.

Sputnik news agency quoted the sub-governor of al-Qaim district Ahmed Jedian by sayings: “The rehabilitation of the border-crossing with Syria is being carried out at a high pace, and the caravans and warehouses were provided; it was likely to be opened on September 1, but the deadline will be extended to one or two more days, or to the seventh of the next month until the logistical arrangements would be completed”.

Jedian confirmed: “The supervising department of the border-crossing, the director, and the passport and road transport chambers are ready at the port”.

He pointed out that, “there is a considerable pressure to open the border crossing between the two countries, in order to return the commercial activities and the passenger traffic after a suspension which lasted for years”.

Earlier, Syrian and Iraqi military commanders conducted an exploratory tour at the borders between the two countries in preparation for the reopening of the crossing.

Syria and Iraq have three border-crossings: Al-Yarubiya crossing on the Iraqi side which is matched by Rabia crossing, which is under the control of SDF, al-Walid crossing on the Iraqi side which is matched by al-Tanf on the Syrian side, and al-Qaim crossing on the Iraqi side which is matched by al-Bukamal, which is under the control of the Syrian government forces since the Islamic State (ISIS) was expelled from the region at the end of 2017.