BEIRUT, December 27. /TASS/. A significant number of weapons formerly belonging to the Syrian army have fallen into the hands of Islamic State (IS) militants (outlawed in Russia), Iraq’s Prime Minister Mohammed Al Sudani stated on Friday.
"[IS militants] have seized a significant quantity of weapons from the Syrian army," the prime minister said in an interview with Al Arabiya, assuring that Iraqi authorities "will not allow the infiltration of weapons and [IS supporters] from Syria [into Iraqi territory]." The Iraqi prime minister expressed hope for cooperation with Syria’s interim authorities to ensure border security between the two nations.
Baghdad "respects the will of the Syrian people and hopes for [progress toward a comprehensive political process]," Sudani stressed, adding that Iraq has no intention of interfering in Syria’s internal affairs.
In late November, Syria’s armed opposition launched a large-scale offensive against government forces. On December 8, they entered Damascus, prompting the army to withdraw from the Syrian capital. Syria’s President Bashar Assad resigned and left the country, issuing directives for a peaceful transfer of power. On December 10, Mohammed al-Bashir, who had led the Syrian Salvation Government in Idlib since January 2024, announced his appointment as head of Syria’s interim government until March 1, 2025.
On December 6, Syrian Democratic Forces' Commander Mazloum Abdi said that against the background of recent events, Kurdish units had invigorated activities of militants of the Islamic State terrorist organization in some areas of the country.