BAGHDAD, Dec 22 (Reuters) – Iraqi Shi’ite paramilitary groups have deployed to the frontier to back up border guard forces who came under fire from within Syria over the past three days, one of their commanders said on Friday.
There was no immediate word on who opened fire from Syrian territory, but forces arrayed against Islamic State in Iraq and Syria anticipate the group will resort to guerrilla warfare after losing its urban bastions earlier this year.
“After several Iraqi border guard positions came under several attacks by missiles, and backup from security forces was late, the 13th brigade of the Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF) was deployed and targeted the origins of the launch,” PMF commander for west Anbar, Qassem Mesleh, said in a statement.
Iraqi forces on Dec. 9 recaptured the last swathes of territory still under Islamic State control along the frontier with Syria and secured the western desert.
It marked the end of the war against the militants, three years after they overran about a third of Iraq’s territory.
The PMF is an umbrella grouping of mostly Iran-backed and trained Shi’ite militias that formally report to Iraq’s prime minister but are separate from the military and police.
“Operations command and the infantry brigade are now present on the Iraqi-Syrian border in border guard positions to repel any attack or movement by the enemy,” Mesleh said.
“This area is not within the PMF’s remit but it is our duty to back up all security forces.” (Reporting by Ahmed Aboulenein; diting by William Maclean)
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