Iraq says arrests 62 Syrian ‘infiltrators’

BAGHDAD

Iraq said Tuesday it had arrested dozens of Syrians after crossing into the country from its next-door neighbor.

In a statement, the Defense Ministry said 62 Syrians were arrested in a joint operation by the Iraqi border guards and the Kurdish Peshmerga forces.

The statement, however, did not provide further details.

Iraq shares 1,000-kilometer borders with Syria, where the Daesh/ISIS and PKK terror groups having active presence.

Last week, Syrian authorities handed over 50 Iraqi members of the Daesh/ISIS terrorist group to Iraq.

Thousands of Daesh/ISIS members fled to neighboring Syria after the defeat of the terror group in Iraq in 2017.

The Iraqi army continues to carry out frequent operations against the terror group, which has mounted sporadic attacks in Iraq in recent months.

Writing by Ahmed Asmar