‘Jordan fully alert on border as Iraq’s Anbar operation continues’

AMMAN — Security measures at the Jordanian-Iraqi border have been intensified since the Iraqi side fell into the hands of Daesh, and Jordan's military is ready to deal with any threats as the Iraqi military leads operations to liberate Anbar province, an army spokesperson said Tuesday.

Following their success in liberating the city of Tikrit from Daesh militants earlier this month, the Iraqi army launched an operation a week ago to retake Anbar province, which is located near the Kingdom's northeastern border.

Jordan Armed Forces-Arab Army (JAF) Spokesperson Col. Mamdoh Al Ameri told The Jordan Times that security measures have been intensified on the border since the beginning of the crisis and “our forces are ready to deal with any threat… our plans are already in place”.

The last infiltration attempt at the border was reported in September last year, when the army destroyed a jeep that illegally tried  to enter the Kingdom from Iraq.

When the crisis started in the neighbouring country after Daesh took over Anbar last June, JAF beefed up the border with reinforcements and utilised all their capabilities to maintain the country's security.

The border post with Iraq is about 360km northeast of Amman, 60km from Rweished and 560km from Baghdad. The border stretches along 200km. 

Before operations against Daesh in Anbar began, Iraq’s Defence Minister Khalid Obeidi visited Jordan and met with His Majesty King Abdullah and Jordanian officials, with discussions covering the latest regional developments.

They also reviewed the Iraqi government’s efforts in combating terrorist groups as well as cooperation between the two countries, especially in military fields.