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Washington Sheltering ISIL Commanders at Iraq-Syria Borders

Rasa - ISIL commanders are hiding at US bases at Iraq's border with Syria, a senior commander of Hashd al-Shaabi (Iraqi popular forces) said, warning that Washington seeks to use the terrorists as a leverage against Baghdad and Damascus.

News ID: 441905

Date: 05 December 2018 - 12:03

RNA - The Arabic-language al-Ma'aloumeh news website quoted Hashem al-Moussavi as saying on Tuesday that a number of ISIL leaders have been sheltered at Iraq's border with Syria to survive current attacks by the Iraqi security forces and Hashd al-Shaabi.

He added that Syria's al-Tanf base is the main stronghold of the terrorists and supplies the ISIL remnants with weapons, military equipment and intelligence, noting that Washington aims to use the ISIL commanders as a leverage to pressure Baghdad and Damascus.

Al-Moussavi said that the Iraqi security forces and Hashd al-Shaabi are at present trying to cleanse Wadi Houran region in al-Anbar (at the borders between Iraq and Syria) from terrorists, adding that the US fighter jets often provide a cover to the ISIL moves between Iraq and Syria.

According to Fars News Agancy, the US-led coalition has long been suspected of colluding with the ISIL terrorist group in Eastern Syria for quite a few years now. Experts believe the US needs to keep a contained group of ISIL terrorists operating in the region in a bid to justify its buildup in Eastern Syria.

Relevant reports said late in November that the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and ISIL had been in secret talks on the latter's withdrawal from Deir Ezzur to Iraq's desert.

Orient news reported that the talks were underway between the SDF and the ISIL to conclude an  agreement similar to the one on Raqqa to relocate the terrorists from Deir Ezzur to Iraq's desert.

It further said that the US-led coalition air force, according to the talks, would provide a cover for the terrorists to move to Iraqi territories 60km from the border with Syria.

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