Iraqi, Syrian Presidents Stress Need to Unite Against Terrorism

Date: 16 July 2021 - 21:34

News ID: ۹۲۴۷۸

BAGHDAD (Dispatches) – Iraqi President Barham Salih in a meeting with his Syrian counterpart Bashar al-Assad, stressed on Thursday the need for the two countries to work together to confront terrorism, the Iraqi News Agency (INA) reported.
The Media Office of the Iraqi president stated in a statement that “President Salih made a phone call, with al-Assad, where they discussed bilateral relations between the two neighboring countries and the two brotherly peoples, which are relations that have close historical, geographical and social ties, in addition to discussing challenges.”
He added, “During the phone call, the importance of strengthening relations between the two countries was emphasized, and the need to join hands together in the face of common dangers, especially terrorism and combating its remnants that seek to destabilize security and stability in the two countries and the region, and not allow terrorist groups to catch their breath and exploit loopholes to carry out their criminal acts.”
Iraq and Syria, in recent years, have faced with the emergence of foreign-backed terrorist groups, out of which Daesh popped up and dramatically deteriorated the situation in both countries.
Resistance forces of the two Arab nations, such as Iraq’s anti-terror Popular Mobilization Units (PMU) which is composed of dozens of groups, have successfully dealt with terrorism, ridding both countries of Daesh and other terrorists, while their struggle to eradicate the remnants of the terrorists continues.
The U.S. and the Zionist regime, however, have conducted countless strikes against Iraqi and Syrian resistance forces in recent years, trying to hold them back in their fight against terrorism.
US President Joe Biden’s first military strike abroad was against the anti-terror PMU at the Iraqi-Syrian border back in February, only a month into his presidency. Biden also ordered airstrikes against the headquarters of the 14th Brigade of the PMU, also known as Hashd al-Sha’abi, along Iraq and Syria’s common border last month.