Iraqi PM calls for tighter security measures on border with Syria

Newly sworn-in Iraqi Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi on Sunday advocated the need for advanced and tighter security measures along its border with war-torn Syria.

During his visit to the headquarters of the Joint Operations Command in Baghdad where he was briefed on the current situation on the Iraq-Syria border, Abdul-Mahdi underlined that tightening security will help maintain stability in Iraq, Anadolu News Agency reported.

The Iraqi premier also called for massive efforts to track and destroy terrorist camps in the country.

In December last year, Iraq declared victory over the Islamic State (IS), which had seized control of nearly a third of the country in 2014.

The country's government has also executed scores of people for their alleged involvement with the dreaded terror group.

However, in some parts of Iraq, the IS maintains a network of "sleeper cells". The Iraqi government has been conducting several airstrikes to clear out the terror camps, particularly in the northern parts of the country.