Shia militias in Iraq move towards the Syrian border

Iraqi Shia paramilitary groups have been deployed to the Syrian border to reinforce border guards who have faced fire from within Syria over the last three days, one of their commanders said on Friday.

There was no immediate word on who opened fire from Syrian territory, but forces against Daesh (ISIS) in Iraq and Syria expect the group will resort to guerrilla warfare after losing its urban bastions earlier this year.

"After several Iraqi border guard positions came under attack by missiles, and backup from security forces was late, the 13th Brigade of the Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF) [also known as Hashd al-Shab] was deployed and targeted the origins of the launch," PMF commander for west Anbar, Qassem Mesleh, said in a statement.

"Operations command and the infantry brigade are now present on the Iraqi-Syrian frontline with border guards ready to repel any attack or movement by the enemy," Mesleh said.

"This area is not within the PMF's remit but it is our duty to back up all security forces."

The PMF is an umbrella grouping of mostly Iranian-backed and trained Shi'ite militias that formally report to Iraq's prime minister but are separate from the military and police.

Sunni Muslims and Kurds have called on Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi to disarm the PMF, which they say are responsible for widespread abuses against their communities.

An Iraqi military spokesman confirmed the deployment. Brigadier General Yahya Rasool told Reuters it was temporary and "very normal" because it was the PMF's duty to back up government forces.

The PMF were officially made part of the Iraqi security establishment by law and formally answer to Abadi in his capacity as commander-in-chief of the armed forces.

Abadi has said the state should have a monopoly on the legitimate use of arms.

Iraqi forces on December 9 recaptured the last swathes of territory still under Daesh control along the Syrian border.

It marked the end of the war against the militants, three years after they overran about a third of Iraq's territory.

Rasool, the military spokesman, denied backup to the border guards had been late.

"The primary responsibility for the borders lies with the border guards and the army, however," said Rasool.

He said Iraqi forces coordinate with both the Syrian army, which is backed by Russia, Iran and Iran-backed Shia militias, and the US-backed alliance dominated by YPG Kurdish militias. 

Rasool added that parts of Syria - including many areas on the border with Iraq - were still under Daesh control.