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An attempt to smuggle arms into Syria was thwarted as well as the infiltration of men from different nationalities in or out of Syrian territories.
These weapons ranging from light to heavy were supposed to be delivered to the Free Syrian Army, if the smuggling attempt from Iraq to Syria through Rabiaa region succeeded.
According to the Iraqi Army which thwarted the smuggling attempt, weapon transferring was not the only attempt halted but also the infiltration of men from different nationalities from Iraq into Syria and vice versa.
“We have confiscated many weapons terrorists intended to dispatch to so called “Free Syrian Army” in order to aggravate the situation in Syria. We have seized a great number of Kalashnikovs”, said of the 9th Division of Armored Forces, Lieutenant Colonel Sadeq Rissan.
“We have arrested infiltrators from different nationalities on the Iraqi and the Syrian side of the border in addition to heavy weapons such as mortar canons, DShKs and other weapons from different calibers and kinds”, said head of the 15th border security Brigade, Colonel Saleh Jalu Mur’i.
Despite this incident, officials responsible for border security in Rabiaa region expressed their fear that the forces spread across the Iraqi-Syrian borders are not sufficient to stop smuggling and infiltration attempts amidst the absence or lack of coordination among the forces responsible for border security in Kurdistan region and other areas, according to what other officials said.
“Our numbers are not enough however this is what we can afford in the current situation since the country is undergoing crises and the situation in Syria is really bad. Despite all of this we have to do our utmost best to guard these borders even if the number of personnel is not enough”, said head of the 9th division of the armored forces, Lieutenant Colonel Sadeq Rissan.
“We need to cooperate with operation centers on the regional level and in the south” said Commanding officer of the Rabiaa region Headquarters, Lieutenant General Hussein Karim Khudeir.
According to observers, confiscating these weapons and bringing up the subject of arm smuggling to the Syrian Free Army, amidst the events that are rocking neighboring Syria, aim undoubtedly to confirm that arms are being smuggled from Iraq to one of the parties of the conflict in Syria; despite Iraqi government’s constant denying.
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