US Forces Establish New Base in Iraq Near Border with Syria

TEHRAN (defapress)- US forces established a new military base in Iraq’s Western province of Anbar near the border with neighboring Syria in defiance of widespread calls to end its military presence in the Middle East region.

News ID: 74443

Date: 20 December 2018 - 14:05

“American troops have built the military base in the al-Maliha area near the town of al-Qa'im, which is located nearly 400 kilometers Northwest of the capital Baghdad and along the Euphrates River,” al-Mashriq newspaper quoted the town’s mayor Ahmed al-Mahalawi as saying.

Mahalawi added, “The new base is close to the borderline with Syria, apparently aimed at monitoring the border to protect the US forces deployed inside Syria near the Iraqi-Syrian border.”

The mayor noted that the military base is the second of its kind established in the Rumana subdistrict of Qa'im district. Another base was set up earlier this month.

Separately, Frahan al-Dulaimi, a member of Anbar provincial council, said US forces “had not informed provincial authorities about the military bases”.

Dulaimi added that “the provincial council has no power to prevent US forces from building bases in the desert region of the province”.

Over 5,000 US troops have reportedly been deployed in Iraq to support government forces during the battles against Daesh Takfiri terrorists.

Daesh began a terror campaign in Iraq in 2014, overrunning vast swathes in lightning attacks.

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