One al-Hashd al-Ashairi commander confirmed the entry and exit of US troops to and from Iraq via Erbil without informing Baghdad.
An al-Hashd al-Ashairi commander in Nineveh province says the Simalka crossing, which connects Iraq, specifically the Iraqi Kurdistan region, to Syria, is being used by US forces to enter and leave Iraq illegally.
“Abu Badr al-Shammari”, the commander of “Hashd Shamar”, a subset of Al-Hashd al-Shabi, explained in an interview with “Al-Ma’loumeh” news website: The American forces periodically change their forces in northern Syria and the forces present in the city of Erbil, and these forces are easily moved.
He added: The entry of American troops into Iraq takes place through the Simalka crossing, which passes through the Rabieh area, and the Americans often use this route to enter Iraq and transfer to Anbar province and establish themselves at the Ain al-Assad base.
Al-Shammari stated that the entry of American troops and their withdrawal from Iraq will take place without the knowledge of the security forces and the responsible parties in the Iraqi government, and this is a violation of the sovereignty of the country. Because the entry and exit of these forces must be done with official notification.
The Simalka crossing connects the Iraqi Kurdistan region to Syria to the north and is controlled by the US-affiliated Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). The entry and exit of American troops without informing the officials of the Iraqi central government is one of the protests of Iraqi politicians, party leaders and representatives, and they demand the registration of any movement of these forces, especially in the Kurdistan region.
So far, there have been numerous reports of US troops entering al-Harir military base in Erbil from northeastern Syria, all confirming that the Americans will enter Erbil after crossing the Sahila Rabieh Road and the Simalka border crossing. The withdrawal of these forces and their transfer to Syria will take place in the same way.