Iraq foils militant infiltration attempt

Iraq says its forces have foiled an attempt by militants to infiltrate the country from Syria.

The Iraqi Interior Ministry said in a statement issued on Monday that the forces engaged a ‘terrorist group’ that used 20 vehicles and more than two dozen motorcycles to enter Iraq’s Anbar Province.

The Iraqi forces pushed the armed militants back after a two-hour clash, the ministry added.

The border clash came after Iraq said earlier this week that it had discovered three underground tunnels on its border with Syria, which were used by militants to smuggle weapons into Syria.

The foreign-backed militancy in Syria has had spillover effects in neighboring countries including Lebanon and Iraq.

In addition to infiltration attempts by militant groups, Iraq is also witnessing bombings and shooting attacks on an almost regular basis. The Baghdad government blames al-Qaeda for the carnage.