The mayor of Al-Qaim district in Anbar province, Turki Al-Mahalawi, denied reports on Thursday claiming that passenger travel between Iraq and Syria had fully resumed through the Al-Qaim border crossing.
Speaking to dinaropinions.com, Al-Mahalawi said the reports were false and confirmed that only commercial traffic is currently operating through the crossing. He explained that trucks carrying food shipments from Syria are still being allowed through under inspection and verification procedures.
He added that the Iraqi central government currently allows travel to Syria only for people who hold a valid Syrian entry visa or Syrian citizenship.
Al-Mahalawi also denied reports claiming the border crossing had reopened to travelers without restrictions. He stressed that passenger movement between Iraq and Syria is still limited, requires official approvals, and has not yet returned to normal operations.
