Iraqi federal forces and Kurdistan Region Peshmerga troops are on full alert along the country's extensive border with Syria, officials announced Monday, as renewed clashes inside Syria raise urgent concerns over the security of prisons housing thousands of Islamic State (ISIS) militants.

The heightened state of readiness comes amid fighting between the Syrian Arab Army and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in northeastern Syria (Rojava). A key worry for Iraqi authorities is that the turmoil could lead to breaches at SDF-run detention facilities, potentially allowing ISIS fighters, including Iraqis, to escape and attempt to cross the border.

"In light of the events in Syria, our borders are protected, and we have experience dealing with terrorist groups in the most difficult geographical terrains," said Major General Tahsin al-Khafaji, spokesperson for Iraq's Ministry of Defense. He confirmed that federal and Peshmerga forces are in "full readiness" with coordinated surveillance and information sharing across all border sectors to "confront any infiltration."

The alert was visibly underscored late Sunday by video footage showing Iraqi security forces, identified by local officials as Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), moving toward the border in Nineveh province.

Mohammed Jassim Kakayi, head of the security committee in Nineveh's provincial council, linked the deployment directly to the Syrian army's takeover of areas previously held by the SDF. "That area contains several prisons housing ISIS members and their families," Kakayi told Rudaw. "There were reports that prisoners had escaped; therefore, the Iraqi government sent additional military support to the border."

Iraq maintains a layered defense along the 618-kilometer frontier: Border Guards form the first line, the Army the second, and the PMF the third.

The fears were echoed by Sheikhmous Ahmed, an official overseeing displacement camps in Rojava, who warned that attacks by factions like Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham pose a "serious threat to the camps and prisons holding ISIS militants."

Major General al-Khafaji sought to assure the public of Iraq's preparedness, citing sufficient manpower, experience, and ongoing cooperation with international partners. "We have sufficient capability at the borders to respond to threats and to arrest or kill anyone attempting to enter the country," he stated.