Interior Ministry says viral border video was not filmed in Iraq

BAGHDAD — The Interior Ministry denied that a video circulating on social media showed a group of Syrians crossing a security barrier on the Iraq-Syria border, saying the concrete wall in the footage is part of another country’s fortifications.

The border is secured and stable, with fortifications, barriers, technical surveillance and thermal cameras in place, and Border Guard Command units and patrols deployed along it, the ministry said. It urged media outlets, bloggers and social media users to check before sharing old footage or video from other countries as Iraqi, saying such posts mislead the public.

Iraq’s border with Syria runs about 600 kilometres through Anbar, Nineveh and Duhok. More than 400 kilometres of concrete wall has been built along it, leaving roughly a third without one, as part of efforts to limit the movement of Islamic State fighters, armed groups and drug trafficking.

There are three main land crossings. Qaim-Albukamal in Anbar is the busiest for passengers and goods. Waleed, also in Anbar, reopened on April 2 after 11 years and is used mainly for energy transport and trade. Rabia reopened in April after about 13 years and is now Iraq’s third highest-earning crossing, with 2,600 to 3,000 trucks and tankers crossing daily, according to the Border Ports Authority.