Baghdad, Damascus have common goal of destroying ISIL

  "We have a common goal [with the Syrian government] – to destroy Daesh," Abadi said at a press conference.

The prime minister pointed out that Baghdad was striving for establishing control over the areas close to the border with Syria in coordination with the Syrian government.

Abadi added that the Iraqi forces would prevent armed groups from coming to Syria from Iraq.

ISIL terror group has seized large territories in Syria, having taken the advantage of the civil war that erupted in the country in 2011, and in Iraq, where the jihadists launched a full-scale offensive in 2014.

Despite a number of successful anti-ISIL operations conducted both by Damascus and Baghdad, the group still retains control over its main stronghold in Syria Raqqa and parts of the second biggest Iraqi city of Mosul.