ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi on Thursday ordered the formation of a “high-level committee” to investigate the attempted smuggling of “weapons and missiles” from Iraq into Syria, Baghdad authorities confirmed.
The committee is set to operate in coordination with Syrian authorities, who earlier in the day said they had foiled an attempt to smuggle a large shipment of “advanced weapons” from Iraq through Syria to the Iran-backed Hezbollah movement in Lebanon.
“Following the foiling of an attempt to smuggle weapons and missiles across the Iraqi border into Syrian territory,” Zaidi, in his capacity as commander-in-chief of the Iraqi armed forces, ordered that “a high-level committee comprising the relevant authorities and specialists be formed to fully investigate all aspects of this matter,” Baghdad's Security Media Cell (SMC) reported.
“Coordination will also take place with the Syrian side to determine all the details surrounding the operation and hold those responsible for any shortcomings accountable, in a manner that ensures the security and stability of the shared border and prevents any attempts to undermine national security,” the Cell added.
Of note, the SMC is the media arm of Iraq's Joint Operations Command (JOC), which reports directly to the Iraqi prime minister.
The Iraqi prime minister’s directive comes shortly after Syria’s interior ministry reported that its “specialized units thwarted an attempt to smuggle a massive shipment of advanced weapons along the Syrian-Iraqi border,” adding that the cache included “long-range missiles, anti-armor guided missiles, and drones.”
Preliminary investigations indicate the shipment was set to be transferred to Lebanon via Syria, ultimately bound for the Iran-backed Hezbollah movement in Lebanon.
RELATED: Syria intercepts ‘advanced weapons’ shipment bound for Lebanon’s Hezbollah
Last updated at 3:33 pm
