Syria and Iraq troops link at border for first time in years

Syrian troops and allied militias met up with Iraqi forces at one crossing point along their shared border Sunday for the first time in years, in a step described as a major achievement by the Syrian military in their fight against the Islamic State group.

The development reported by progovernment media Sunday comes a day after Iraqi forces captured a border crossing point with Syria, al-Waleed, from the IS militants. It was not immediately clear if the Syrian forces reached a new point along their border with Iraq or whether it was the Iraqi forces that had moved northeast of their newly captured point.

The U.S.-led coalition said it was aware of the Iraqi forces’ maneuvers along the border, which highlight Baghdad’s resolve to fight IS. The maneuvers have no impact on the U.S. presence nearby, a coalition colonel said.

ERIC GAY — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Father’s Day weekend: Balloons launch Sunday from a field at sunrise during the Balloons Over Angel Fire festival in Angel Fire, New Mexico. About 40 hot-air balloons fill the skies each day of the three-day festival over Father’s Day weekend.