Iraq: Border with Jordan to open soon, after year of closure
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AMMAN- Iraq's border crossing with Jordan is expected to open in about two weeks, after an almost year-long closure, allowing for a resumption of vital trade and a return of Iraqi refugees, an Iraqi diplomat said Saturday.
Iraq had closed the crossing in July because large areas of the border province of Anbar had fallen to ISIS extremists. But since its rapid expansion in 2014, IS has lost territory in Anbar in recent months, most recently the town of Rutba.
The capture of Rutba by the Iraqi army this week cleared the way for reopening the Trebil crossing, but security forces need time to clear explosives planted by the extremists, said the Iraqi ambassador to Jordan, Safia al-Souhail.
