Deputy Commander Of PMU: Syrian-Iraqi Border Is Our Strategic Objective

Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, Deputy Commander of the PMU

The Iraqi Popular Mobilization Units (PMU) is seeing the Syrian-Iraqi border as a strategic objective of their military operations against ISIS in Iraq.

“The closure of the Syrian-Iraqi border to ISIS militants is an Iraqi strategic objective”, said Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, Deputy Commander of the PMU in an interview on Al-Mayadeen TV channel.

Al-Muhandis pointed out that forces of the PMU will enter the Syrian territory only in case of full coordination between the Syrian and Iraqi governments, and confirmed the existence of official channels with the Syrian government in case of the PMU need to move to the Syrian territory.

“Any movement within Syrian territory without the consent of the government in Syria is considered an invasion and aggression”, Al-Muhandis said and added that “Any direct invasion of Syria will fail as the indirect invasion of terrorist groups failed.”

He emphazied that the PMU would foil any plans to divide countries in the region.

“We are working to break the will of the countries of terrorism and the countries that support it .. and we move to foil any plots to bring Syria or Iraq down.”

One of the commanders of the Syrian military operation on the Al-Tanaf road in southern Syria announced yesterday that the ultimate aim is to secure the Iraqi-Syrian border and that the operation was coordinated with the Iraqi side.

On Friday, the SAA attacked several positions of US-backed Free Syrian Army groups in the northern Suweida countryside and the Damascus desert and on the Al-Tanaf road. Moreover, there were unconfirmed reports that Syrian warplanes were bombing the Free Syrian Army military camp in Al-Tanaf on Saturday.