Iraq completes 380-km concrete wall along Syria border

BAGHDAD — Iraq has completed a 380-kilometer concrete barrier along its border with Syria, Border Forces Commander Lt. Gen. Mohammed Sukkar said Tuesday, describing it as one of the country’s key border security measures.

Sukkar told Al-Iraqiya that the Border Forces Command relied on its own production facilities for the fortification, infrastructure and road work, including a ready-mix concrete plant reactivated in 2023 with Interior Ministry support.

The plant produced the blocks used in the wall, which runs from Mount Sinjar southward to north of Rabia, with work continuing toward the Tigris River. “Today we have a concrete wall with a length of 380 kilometers,” he said.

Sukkar said in-house production roughly halved costs compared with similar projects carried out by private companies, and that the command had achieved self-sufficiency in producing concrete blocks, fortifications and culverts through its own engineering equipment and personnel.

The barrier is part of a broader effort to fortify Iraq’s nearly 600-kilometer frontier with Syria, where authorities have expanded a network of walls, trenches, earthen berms, surveillance systems and military positions to prevent infiltration by militants and smugglers.

Iraq accelerated the projects after years of security concerns linked to Islamic State activity in the remote desert regions straddling the two countries, announcing successive phases of construction in Nineveh and Anbar governorates.

The border also includes key crossings at Al-Qaim and Al-Waleed, making security a priority alongside efforts to maintain trade between the two countries. Officials have said the frontier is monitored through multiple layers of defenses, including observation towers, thermal cameras and aerial surveillance.