Iraq has tightened security along its border with Syria, stepping up intelligence and military measures to counter the risk of an Islamic State resurgence, after reports that around 200 low-level Islamic State suspects escaped from Syria's Shaddadi prison this week.
The heightened alert follows a rapid shift in control inside Syria, where government forces have taken over prisons previously guarded by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, holding thousands of Islamic State fighters.
While Syrian government forces say many escaped suspects were recaptured, Iraqi officials say the incident underscores the continued risk posed by instability across the border.
Military vehicles line the Iraqi-Syrian border, Iraqi flags raised high and weapons at the ready. Border forces say security here is at its tightest level in years.
"We have built five integrated layers of border barriers -- starting with earth embankments, then trenches, barbed obstacles, BRC fencing (roll-top welded fence), and finally a concrete wall. These are advanced defensive systems. The Iraqi-Syrian border has never seen barriers like this before. All of them are supported by electronic surveillance, with the entire area covered by thermal cameras," said Brigadier General Ali Rashid, commander of the Sixth Region Command of the Iraqi Border Guard Forces.
"There is no such thing as a normal daily life for us. Ours is a 24-hour, constant state of readiness. We don't just start in the morning and rest at night. We remain alert throughout the week, the month, the year. This is a life of continuous vigilance," said Commissioner Ali Farhan Jabr of the 19th Brigade under the Sixth Region Command.
Along the front line, Iraqi border troops say the threat has strengthened their resolve -- as they work around the clock to reassure the public that the border remains secure.
"The message we want to send to our people is that your sons are deployed along the border, and the situation is under control. We want to reassure them: we are here. Anyone who attempts to cross our borders will be dealt with," said a border soldier named Qutaiba Mish'al Ahmad.
At the same time, the United States has begun transferring Islamic State detainees from prisons in Syria to Iraq, with plans to move up to 7,000 in the coming days. U.S. officials say the transfers are aimed at preventing further prison breakouts, as Iraq prepares to prosecute detainees under its legal system.
With regional security at stake, Iraq's border forces are expected to remain on high alert in the months ahead.
Iraqi border forces on high alert after Islamic State suspects escape from Syria
