Iraq, Jordan ink deal on mutual cooperation, anti-terrorism war
Representative photo
AMMAN (IraqiNews.com) – Jordan’s Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Lt. General Mahmoud Abdul Halim Freihat on Sunday discussed with visiting Iraqi Defense Minister Irfan Mahmoud Al Hayali aspects of joint cooperation and coordination as well as means to enhance bilateral ties, Petra News Agency reported.
On the sidelines of the visit, the two sides signed a military and security cooperation agreement in the presence of Iraqi Ambassador to Amman Safia al-Suhail and a number of senior military officials.
The agreement aims to exchange expertise and information on border protection, as well as improving intelligence capabilities and combating terrorism in all its forms.
The two sides also agreed to increase joint military exercises, boosting research and technology development and holding joint courses in the security and military fields.
Iraq declared the collapse of Islamic State’s territorial influence last November with the recapture of Rawa, a city on Anbar’s western borders with Syria, which was the group’s last bastion in Iraq.
The Islamic State group appeared on the international scene in 2014 when it seized large swathes of territory in Iraq and Syria, declaring the establishment of an Islamic “caliphate” from Mosul city. Later on, the group has become notorious for its brutality, including mass killings, abductions and beheadings, prompting the U.S. to lead an international coalition to destroy it.