Syria Eager to Strengthen Cooperation With Iraq in Countering Terror

Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad stated that Damascus needs more and more coordination and cooperation with Iraq in fight against the Daesh terrorist group.

DAMASCUS (Sputnik) — Damascus hopes to extend cooperation with Baghdad's military in the fight against the Islamic State (ISIL or Daesh, outlawed in Russia) terror group, Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad told Sputnik Monday.

"We need more and more coordination and cooperation [with Iraq]. The coordination is carried out in the open and closed regime with the Iraqi Army, and there is a center founded in Iraq for the military coordination, which plays its role in one way or another. We need more coordination," Mikdad said.

He characterized the activities against Daesh as a "war against the common enemy" and stressed that any victory over terrorism in Iraq helps Syria and vice versa.

The center for the sharing of intelligence data concerning Daesh was based in Baghdad by Iraq, Syria, Iran and Russia in 2015.

Daesh captured part of Syria and Iraq in 2014 proclaiming the so-called caliphate on the seized territories.