Iraq has launched a new combing operation to plug the gaps along the Syria-Iraq border and prevent infiltration attempts by "Islamic State of Iraq and Syria" (ISIS) elements, the al-Jazeera and al-Badiya Operations Command said Friday (December 22nd).
The Iraqi army "has kicked off a new military campaign aimed at locating and destroying the tunnels which ISIS had dug on the border, [building] sand barriers and trenches, and setting up surveillance cameras and watchtowers", deputy commander Brig. Gen. Mohammed Fathi al-Khaledi told Diyaruna.
The operation covers an area of 180 kilometres and aims at preventing future infiltrations by ISIS elements, he said.
"The full closure of the border will help restore stability to Iraqi cities, stop terrorist attacks and put an end to ISIS ambitions to return and regroup," he said.
