Despite escalating violence in neighboring Syria, the Iraqi border town of Al-Qaim remains secure and under full control, a local official affirmed Tuesday, as Iraq reopened a key border crossing with Syria.

Turki Mohammed al-Khalaf, District Commissioner of Al-Qaim said that Iraqi security forces are on high alert along the border, crediting the town’s stability to strong coordination between local authorities, tribal leaders, and security agencies.

The assurances follow deadly clashes in Syria’s southern Suwayda province, where fighting between Druze and Bedouin groups has reportedly killed over 100 people in recent days.

Al-Qaim, once a major stronghold of the Islamic State (ISIS), sits along a strategic corridor historically used by militants and smugglers. Iraqi forces retook the town in 2017 as part of the campaign to defeat ISIS.

The Iraqi government recently reopened the Al-Qaim border crossing—a vital link between Iraq’s Anbar province and eastern Syria—after several months of closure, restoring civilian and commercial traffic.