NINEVEH, Iraq - Against the backdrop of rapidly unfolding security developments in Syria, particularly in Kurdish-majority areas, and the outbreak of armed clashes between the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and Syrian government forces led by Ahmed al-Sharaa, serious concerns have emerged over the potential spillover of these events onto the security and stability of the Iraqi-Syrian border.

Factions affiliated with the Syrian government have taken control of the al-Shaddadi prison and al-Hol camp in Hasakah, as well as al-Aqtan prison in Raqqa. The three sites house tens of thousands of ISIS members and their families, raising concerns about a potential reemergence of the terror group amid the instability.

In this context, the Iraqi government has taken strict security measures, including the mobilization and reinforcement of Iraqi army units along the Syrian border, which stretches for approximately 600 kilometers. These deployments include large forces supported by various types of weaponry, in addition to the installation of modern surveillance systems and thermal cameras to monitor suspicious movements along the border.

Brig. Gen. Ali Rashid, Commander of the Iraqi Border Guard Forces’s Sixth Sector, told The New Region that the Iraqi-Syrian border is fully secured through a series of integrated security and military measures, including an advanced system of barriers, fortifications, and defensive works, unprecedented since the establishment of the service.

He added that the morale of the fighters is at its highest level, supported by an integrated and modern surveillance system covering the entire area of responsibility, relying on thermal cameras and advanced monitoring technologies that enable round the clock surveillance.

“We have not monitored or recorded any attempts of approach from Syrian depth toward Iraqi territory. Clear directives have been issued to our military units to deal firmly with any such attempts,” said the commander.

The measures aim to prevent any potential infiltration attempts by elements affiliated with the Syrian government or other armed groups, namely escaped ISIS militants, and to ensure that security tensions inside Syria do not spread into Iraqi territory, amid sensitive regional conditions that require the highest levels of military and intelligence readiness.

The security deployment comes as part of a preemptive plan adopted by Iraqi forces to safeguard national sovereignty and secure the western borders, alongside close and continuous field monitoring of developments inside Syrian territory.

Karam Faisal, a soldier, reiterated that the main area along the Iraqi border is fully secured, with a wide and well-organized deployment of forces along the entire length of the border strip.

“Our borders are secure from end to end, and the entire main area is protected. We have cameras and security devices in place, and the army is present along the border in a state of full readiness,” he told The New Region.

“Any incident that occurs within the main border area, we are present as loyal soldiers,” he added.

The US Central Command (CENTCOM) on Wednesday announced that the US has transported 150 ISIS members, held at a detention facility in Hasakah, to a secure location in Iraq. “Ultimately, up to 7,000 ISIS detainees could be transferred from Syria to Iraqi-controlled facilities,” CENTCOM said.