Lieutenant General Qais al-Muhammadawi, deputy commander of the joint operations in Iraq, announced on Saturday the complete closure of his country's borders, coinciding with the events taking place in neighboring Syria.
Al-Muhammadawi said, in statements to the press reported by the official news agency "INA", that "the Iraqi borders are completely closed".
He stressed that the Iraqi forces are committed to respecting the orders of Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, regarding the protection of the country.
The Iraqi announcement comes in the context of the rapid developments observed on the neighboring Syrian scene following the major advances of the opposition forces on the ground, particularly in the province of Aleppo.
Clashes broke out between the armed factions of the opposition and the forces of the Bashar al-Assad regime in the western countryside of Aleppo on November 27.
Opposition forces advanced rapidly in the western countryside towards the city of Aleppo, and also took control of several areas in the Idlib countryside.
Opposition forces entered Aleppo on Friday afternoon, then continued to advance in the evening to take control of large parts of the city.
The factions took control of Saadallah al-Jabri Square in the city center, in addition to the governorate building, police stations, and the Aleppo Citadel.
Opposition factions extended their control over the entire Idlib governorate on Saturday, after taking control of many sites in its countryside, including the towns of Maarat al-Numan and Khan Sheikhoun.
