Baghdad Information Center Nearly Ready for Full-Fledged Operations

Hakim Zamili the head of the Iraqi parliament's defense and security committee said that at the moment there was a lack of coordination with the Iraqi army on carrying out airstrikes against ISIL in Syria, but Iraq had already used some of the information collected by the Baghdad Information Center.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Iraq is finishing all the necessary logistics procedures for the Baghdad Information Center to commence full-fledged operations, the head of the Iraqi parliament's defense and security committee told Sputnik on Thursday.

In late September, Russia, Syria, Iraq and Iran created the Baghdad Information Center to coordinate joint military actions against the Islamic State (ISIL) militant group. The four countries are represented by officers of the national armed forces, whose primary task is to collect and analyze data related to ISIL activities in the region.

"We are now finishing setting up utilities and completing logistics procedures," Hakim Zamli said Thursday.

He added that at the moment there was a lack of coordination with the Iraqi army on carrying out airstrikes against ISIL in Syria, but Iraq had already used some of the information collected by the Baghdad Information Center.

The lawmaker added that the Syrian delegation had arrived at the center about two weeks ago, joining the delegations from Russia, Iraq and Iran.

Russia has been conducting precision airstrikes on ISIL positions in Syria at the request of President Bashar Assad since September 30, which have resulted in militants beginning to retreat, losing much of their weaponry and equipment, according to the Russian General Staff.

On Tuesday, Mowaffak Rubaie, a lawmaker from the Shiite coalition, told Sputnik that the Iraqi parliament could begin discussions at the end of this week to request military assistance from Russia in its fight against IS.