DAMASCUS, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Syrian President Bashar al-Assad met with the chairman of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) in Iraq, Falih al-Fayyadh, in the capital Damascus Monday to discuss strengthening cooperation in combating terrorism and border control, according to the state news agency SANA.
During the meeting, Assad emphasized the importance of effective coordination in controlling borders and dealing with extremist organizations that threaten the security of both countries.
The president pointed out that terrorism knows no borders and that the supporters of terrorism in Syria and Iraq are the same regardless of the various names of the terrorist organizations.
He praised the resilience and strength of the Syrian and Iraqi armies for their victories against terrorists and their supporters.
The PMF, also known as Hashd al-Shaabi, is an Iraqi state-sponsored umbrella organization composed of Shiite militias formed in 2014 to fight against the Islamic State (IS) terrorist group.
Syria and the PMF have cooperated in their fight against the IS, with PMF fighters crossing the border into Syria to support the Syrian government forces in the battle against the terrorist group. ■
