Riad Hassoun Al Tai, Chargé d’affaires at the Iraqi Embassy in Damascus, yesterday affirmed that the coordination between the armies of Syria and Iraq is ongoing and that soon the entire border area will be under their control.

“It is obvious that there should be a coordination between the Iraqi Army and the Syrian Army in order to liberate all land controlled by ISIS. This is essential for the both sides”, Al Tai was quoted by the Syrian newspaper Al Watan.

He said the main part of the effort has already been achieved, especially after taking control of Al Tanf border crossing.

He then expressed hopes the Iraqi Army will soon make more effort at the Iraqi side of the border, a thing that would be beneficial for both sides, noting that the Iraqi Army will not make any incursions into Syria without prior approval from Damascus.

He also pointed to the possibility of opening another border crossing, although, as he said, nothing has been made on a formal level so far, stressing that such decisions require formal meetings and agreements to be made on a bilateral level.

During the past two days, units of the Syrian Army made significant gains and have already met their Iraqi colleagues at the border.