Iraqi source says Syrian border movements unrelated to Iraq

BAGHDAD, Iraq — An Iraqi security source said military movements on the Syrian side of the border with Iraq are not directed at Iraq, but are linked to the detention of a former Sultan Brigade commander in Aleppo. The source identified the detained figure as Abu Amisha, described as a significant commander, and said his phone had been confiscated. According to the source, the detention could trigger unrest within the Syrian army, prompting security measures inside Syrian territory. Syrian sources had earlier reported that the Syrian army had gone on military alert and dispatched reinforcements toward the Iraq-Syria border, without providing an official justification for the moves. The Iraqi source's account offers one explanation for the redeployments, though no further details were immediately available on the broader security situation along the border.