Iraq did not launch operations against IS in Syria: defense ministry
Iraqi army forces.
Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) Iraq has not carried out military operations against Islamic State militants in neighboring Syria, the defense ministry said on Wednesday as speculations grow about a possible Iraqi action against the militants beyond the borders.
Ministry spokesman Tahseen Ibrahim told Almaalomah website that “security forces have not conducted any military operation inside the Syrian borders, and media reports about that are untrue”.
According to Ibrahim, “the federal government has started tracking Daesh (IS) elements on the intelligence level by sharing information with other countries”. He added that Iraq is currently “engaged in a broad cooperation with regional countries, sharing intelligence information on the activity and presence of fugitive Daesh elements”.
Earlier this week, London-based The New Arab said elite Iraqi forces and U.S. commando teams were carrying out special operations targeting IS leaders inside Syria.
Also recently, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said in a weekly briefing that his country had ended IS’s presence on its soil, and that plans were there to start the stage of chasing the militants in Syria.
Iraq declared victory over IS militants in December, ending a three-year war to retake territories occupied by the group. Iraqi officials, on several occasions, had reiterated they would not take military action against the group in Syria without approval from the Syrian government.