Iraqi forces prevent Syrians smuggle to Iraq
IRBIL, KRG, Iraq (North Press) – On Wednesday,The Security Media Cell (SMC) of the Iraqi forces announced it prevented 15 Syrian nationals to cross illegally into Iraq.
“Following an accurate check to the Iraqi border by the intelligence forces of Branch 15, it was affirmed that several people holding the Syrian nationality are sneaking towards the Iraqi lands through the border village of Mesheirfa, west of Nineveh governorate,” the SMC said in a statement.
“An ambush was set up and the people were caught and repatriated to Syria through joint coordination centers,” the statement added.
According to a statistic conducted by North Press, 23 Syrian nationals were caught last September trying to cross the border to Iraq illegally.
The arrests took place in two batches. 17 people were caught in the first batch and six others in the second one.
The Iraqi Combined Joint Operation Center affirmed in a statement released in April the need to police borders and take every needed procedure to prevent the sneaking of any person through the border with Syria.
In a meeting on November 6, between Qasim al-A’araji, the Iraqi National Security Consultant and Sattam al-Dandah, the Syrian ambassador, both stressed the necessity of policing borders between the two countries.