Iraq says it could deploy military into Syria

IS militants hold a pocket of territory along the Syrian-Iraqi border. Iraq is keeping reinforcements at the frontier.

In this Nov. 7, 2018, photo released by the U.S. Army, U.S. soldiers gather for a brief during a combined joint patrol rehearsal in Manbij, Syria. (File | Photo)

BAGHDAD: Iraq's prime minister says his government could deploy troops inside Syria, in the latest fallout from the US decision to withdraw from the war-torn country.

Adel Abdul-Mahdi says his government is "considering all the options" to protect Iraq from threats across its borders.

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The US stunned the international community last Thursday when it announced it would pull its forces out of Syria, leaving its allies, the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, to fight the the Islamic State group alone.

IS militants hold a pocket of territory along the Syrian-Iraqi border. Iraq is keeping reinforcements at the frontier.

Abdul-Mahdi spoke to reporters at a press conference on Monday.