US-backed Syrian forces & Iraq military create joint center to protect border - SDF

US-backed militias in Syria said they have set up a joint-military center with the Iraqi army to protect the common border region after ousting Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS). Commanders of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), an alliance of Kurdish and Arab militias, met with Iraqi military leaders on Sunday, Reuters said. Protecting the Syrian-Iraqi border in the region adjacent to Deir ez-Zor province, and how to finally eradicate IS mercenaries there, was discussed, according to the SDF. The Kurdish-led SDF has been battling for months with the help of jets and special forces from the US-led coalition.