Iraq says to open border crossings with Syria soon

By Haydar Karaalp

BAGHDAD (AA) – Border gates between Iraq and Syria will be opened in the coming days, the Iraqi army chief of staff said Tuesday.

In statements, Lieutenant General Othman al-Ghanmi said visits and trade will be resumed in a few days between the two countries.

"In the counter-terrorism fight, cooperation with Syria matters,” he said. "The security of Syria is linked to Iraq’s security and cannot be separated."

Main border crossings between Iraq and Syria have been closed since the Daesh terrorist group swept vast swathes of territory in western and northern Iraq in 2014.

A local Lebanese group earlier reported that Syrian regime President Bashar al-Assad will visit Baghdad soon.

Last year, Jordan reopened its border crossing with Syria, which has fallen into a vicious civil war since early 2011, when the Assad regime cracked down on pro-democracy protests with unexpected ferocity.