Iraqi warplanes attacked on Thursday positions in Syria as officials from Iraq, Russia, Iran and the Bashar Assad regime were meeting in Baghdad.
The pre-emptive attacks came ahead of a US plan to withdraw from Syrian areas east of the Euphrates River.
"Our heroic air force carried out deadly air strikes against ISIS sites in Syria on Thursday near the border with Iraq," said a statement issued by the office of the Iraqi Prime Minister.
It added that the attacks aim to counter dangers posed by militants to Iraqi territories and is proof of the improved military capabilities of the armed forces in fighting terror.
PM Haider al-Abadi had stated earlier that Iraq would take all necessary measures against ISIS if their militants threaten the security of his country.
Iraqi warplanes have previously attacked ISIS positions inside Syrian territories. However, it is the first time that such attacks coincide with a meeting of military and security officials from Iraq, Iran, Russia and Syria in Baghdad to coordinate their efforts in “fighting terrorism,” according to Iraqi sources.
Meanwhile, it is still unknown whether international chemical weapons inspectors had entered the location of a suspected poison gas attack in the Syrian town of Douma.
The inspectors had delayed their entry after gunfire at the site during a visit by a UN security team last Tuesday.
On Thursday, the US State Department accused Russian and Syrian regime officials of denying an investigative team access to the alleged chemical weapons attack sites as they sanitize them and remove incriminating evidence.
At the political level, Ankara said Thursday that the next round of the intra-Syrian talks would be held between May 14 and 15 in Astana.
UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura will be visiting Moscow on Friday to discuss means for improving efforts to hold a new round of Syrian talks in Geneva.
