Iraqi army says country’s border with Syria 'fully secured'

ISTANBUL

The Iraqi army said Thursday that the country's border with Syria is "fully secured" following the ouster of the Bashar al-Assad regime.

Army Chief of Staff, Lieutenant General Abdul-Amir Yarallah, said the Iraqi border with Syria is “fully secured,” the state news agency INA reported.

He added that the border area has been “reinforced by a defensive line from the army and the pro-government Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), also known as Hashd Al-Shaabi.

The top military official said no friction had been reported between the Iraqi troops and forces on the Syrian side of the border.

Anti-regime forces seized the capital Damascus on Sunday after a lightning advance that sent Assad fleeing to Russia after a 13-year civil war and 53 years of his family rule.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar