Terrorist Elements in Iraq Endanger Regional Security: Iranian Official
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Ali Shamkhani cautioned that an increase in the presence of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) terrorist group in Iraq is a serious threat to regional security.
“An increase in the presence of the ISIL terrorist elements in Iraq and their acts of violence is a danger signal for the regional security and would necessitate attention and serious action by the governments and the international circles,” Shamkhani said during a meeting with Syrian Ambassador to Tehran Adnan Hassan Mahmoud on Wednesday.
The virus-like spread of terrorism in the region is the outcome of the “irrational policies” of the terrorists’ sponsors, Shamkhani added, noting that the continuation of such a wrong policy would make them be affected by the crises brought by terrorism.
Meantime, armed fighters believed to be part of ISIL have seized Mosul, Iraq's second-largest city, after they took control of the governor's headquarters, prisons and television stations, Iraqi officials said on Tuesday.
Takfiri groups, including the ISIL, are reportedly coming to Iraq from neighboring Syria and Saudi Arabia to undermine security in the country.
During the meeting, Shamkhani also praised Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s landslide victory in the country’s June 3 presidential election.
He emphasized that the successful holding of the free and popular presidential election in Syria brought an end to the pretexts that spark crises in the country, alleviated the sufferings of the Syrian people and marked the defeat of the terrorist groups and their supporters.
The Iranian official also considered reconstructing Syria and providing security and peace for its people as a high priority and emphasized on Iran’s support for the Syrian nation’s determination to achieve that goal.