PMF begin digging trenches, building barriers along Iraqi-Syrian border

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan24) – One day after reaching the border village of Jaris, west of Mosul, Hashd al-Shaabi forces have begun digging trenches and building barriers on the Iraqi-Syrian border.

In a statement posted on the Shia militia’s official website, a spokesperson claimed their military engineering team began work on Tuesday morning on the border west of the Ezidi-populated town of Sinjar (Shingal).

The report also mentioned the troops, also known as the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), would move southward to villages along the Syrian front.

“Our forces are progressing according to plan to successfully secure areas west of Mosul,” the statement read.

Previously, the PMF announced they would be launching a new offensive to retake villages west of Qahtaniya and Shingal.

The next target is likely to be the nearby strategic town of al-Baaj, 40 kilometers from the Syrian border and 30 kilometers south of Shingal, which is one of the last supply lines for Islamic State (IS) militants in Iraq.

The PMF had previously said it was ready to move inside Syrian territories to continue the fight against the insurgent group.

However, the forces indicated they would wait for the Iraqi government’s approval.

Iraqi Forces launched a wide-scale offensive to recapture Mosul and surrounding areas in the Nineveh Province from IS last October.

Editing by Karzan Sulaivany