On the evening of 4 August, Al-Nujaba TV (Nujaba — official) and Watan TV (Badr Organization — affiliated) carried Border Forces commander Muhammad Abd al-Wahhab Sukar al-Saidi saying the border situation is normal and that movements on the Syrian side are occurring with Iraqi knowledge and coordination. Within the same five-minute span, Shabab al-Islam (Ashab al-Kahf — owned/non-official) relayed, attributed only to unnamed Iraqi media sources, that columns of the Syrian 66th and 86th Divisions had deployed at the Iraqi border and around Abu Kamal, that Iraqi Border Guard, Army and Popular Mobilization Forces anti-armour directorate reinforcements had preceded them, and that Iraqi drone intelligence activity accompanied the reinforcements. The rung is preponderance: the reassurance line rests on a named commander carried by two separate networks, while the reinforcement account rests on one channel citing unnamed sources with no outside coverage in the collected material.
- Watan TVBadr Organization — affiliated04 Aug, 20:56
“Border Forces commander: the situation on the border is normal, and the movements on the Syrian side to hold the border are taking place with our knowledge and in coordination with us.”
قائد قوات الحدود: الوضع طبيعي على الحدود والتحركات في الجانب السوري لمسك الحدود تجري بعلمنا وبالتنسيق معنا
- Shabab al-IslamAshab al-Kahf — owned/non-official04 Aug, 20:57
“Citing Iraqi media sources: columns of the Syrian 66th and 86th Divisions deployed at the border with Iraq and in the Abu Kamal area... the Iraqi reinforcements consisted of Border Guard, Army and Popular Mobilization Forces anti-armour directorate forces... accompanied by Iraqi intelligence activity using drones to secure the border in anticipation of any security development.”
نقلاً عن مصادر إعلامية عراقية: انتشار لأرتال من الفرقتين 66 و 86 السوريتين عند الحدود مع العراق وفي منطقة البو كمال... التعزيزات العراقية تمثلت بانتشار قوات من حرس الحدود والجيش ومديرية مقاتلة الدروع في الحشد الشعبي... ترافقت ونشاط استخباراتي عراقي عبر الطيران المسير لتأمين الحدود تحسباً لأي تطور أمني
- Al-Nujaba TVNujaba — official04 Aug, 21:01
“Border Forces commander Muhammad Abd al-Wahhab Sukar al-Saidi: the situation is normal and the movements on the Syrian side are taking place with our knowledge and in coordination with us.”
قائد قوات الحدود محمد عبد الوهاب سكر السعيدي: الوضع طبيعي والتحركات في الجانب السوري تجري بعلمنا وبالتنسيق معنا