securing the borders with Syria requires logistic ubscaling, PMF officer says

 Shafaq News/ A senior commander of al-Hash al-Shaabi (Popular Mobilization Forces-PMF) attributed the failure to deter ISIS attacks to logistic and tactical failure of the Iraqi security forces.

The Deputy Commander of al-Hashd al-Shaabi  Operations in al-Anbar, Ahmed Nasrallah, told Shafaq News Agency, "the failure to control the entire Iraqi-Syrian borders is the main reason for the inability to eliminate ISIS."

"The Syrian territories close to the borders with Iraq are not controlled by the Syrian regime forces, particularly the territories adjacent to the Levant desert affiliated with al-Rutba district, west of al-Anbar," he explained.

"Insufficient equipping of the security forces stationed in the western territories contribute to the frequent security breaches there," he added, "some areas have a rugged topography, rendering tracking terrorists a more difficult mission."

"The Border Guards are allowed to maneuver only within 15 kilometers from the Iraqi borders. This complicates the pursuit of terrorists in major locations, including Wadi Etbel and Wadi Horan, among others."

"The lack of stationing forces and limiting the military action to preemptive operations carried out by the Army or PMF is useless, especially in the absence of thermographic cameras and aerial sorties."

"Moreover, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles are banned in the western territories because of Ain al-Asad airbase; in addition to the jamming they cause in there," he continued, "a letter was submitted to the Joint Operations Command on this issue. It will be resolved very soon."