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Two Iran-backed factions in Iraq have announced plans to send fighters to Syria to support Bashar al-Assad's forces against an Islamist-dominated rebel alliance advancing rapidly against the Syrian regime, °®Âþµº's Arabic language editionÌýÌýon Sunday.

Kazem Al-Fartousi, spokesperson for the Iraqi paramilitary group Kata'ib Sayyid al-Shuhada, blamed the US and Israel for the sudden uprising of Syrian rebels, hinting at renewed involvement in the conflict.

"What is happening in Syria is driven by the US and Israel, as part of a second phase to cut off Hezbollah in Lebanon,"ÌýAl-Fartousi told Al-Alaraby Al-Jadeed, adding that his group was prepared to take action.

"Iraq will be the first country affected by what is currently happening in Syria, and we do not rule out participating in the fighting in Syria once again," he said, noting that his group had "previously fought in Syria for many years, not to defend the regime, but to protect the axis of resistance and the main supply line connecting Lebanon, Iraq, Iran, and Syria."

Al-Fartousi, whose group operates in the border areas between Iraq and Syria, said that there was no formal decision for Iraqi factions to take part in the fighting in Syria, but they were ready to "move immediately" if needed.

"Anything is possible in the coming days if the situation in Syria escalates further and becomes more dangerous," he added.

Ali Al-Fatlawi, an official from the Harakat Ansar Allah al-Awfiya said that the events in Syria had "significant" repercussions on Iraq.

"Iraq's security will be affected by the developments in Syria, and what happened in recent years was clear evidence of that," he told Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, adding that while Iraq's security situation was currently different from 2014, "the danger remains".

"Fighters from Iraqi factions will likely head to Syria soon. They are fully prepared for this combat mission," he said.

"[Iraq] is an integral part of the axis of resistance, which includes Iran, Syria, Yemen and Lebanon," he said, adding that there was "ongoing communication and coordination over the current situation in Syria, including talks about sending support and fighters to Syria to combat [the rebels]," he added.

On Saturday, activists shared footage showingÌýMuhannad Al-Anzi, a leader in the Badr Organisation paramilitary, in the Sayyida Zainab - an area of cultural and religious significance for Shia Muslims - in the suburb of Damascus.

In the video, he confirmed that the situation in that area was "stable", declaring the presence and deployment of Iraqi factions to the Syrian capital in support of the Syrian regime forces.

Iraqi factions, particularly Shia paramilitary groups like Kata'ib Hezbollah and Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq, began fighting in Syria since around 2012 to support the Assad regime and protect Shia religious sites, gradually withdrawing between 2018 and 2019 as the Syrian forces, backed by brutal Russian airstrikes, regained control of key territories.

Iraqi security expert Colonel Saad Al-Hadithi told Al-Araby Al-Jadeed that the redeployment of Iraqi factions to Syria in support of Assad's forces was an "Iranian decision".

"In the coming days, we may see more of these factions coming into Syria if Iran decides to provide combat support to the Syrian regime," he said, adding that Baghdad had "limited authority" over these factions on their roles outside Iraq.

Al-Hadithi also considered comments relating to the security impact of the Syrian rebel offensive on Iraq were "exaggerated", given that Aleppo is located at leastÌý350 kilometres (around 217 miles) from the Iraqi border, and the area in between is bolstered with the presence of Syrian regime forces, theÌýSyrian Democratic Forces (SDF), Iraqi factions, and other Iran-backed groups.

Late on Saturday, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' Al Sudani spoke with Assad on the telephone to discuss the latest developments in a move that declared support for forces loyal to the Syrian dictator.

The phone call, which also addressed other developments in the region, emphasised the link between Syria's security and stability to Iraq's national security, according to a statement by Al Sudani's office.

The Iraqi prime minister expressed his country's "readiness" to provide "all necessary support" to the Syrian regime in combating "terrorism", following the rapid capture of Aleppo city, the Idlib province and parts of Hama by the Syrian rebels over the past two days.

Several Iraqi security and military officialsÌýmade successive visits to the Iraq-Syria border, led by Defence Minister Thabet Al-Abbasi, who announced that the borders were secure and assured there was no threat from the current situation in Syria.

(Reporting byÌýMohammed Imad andÌýMohammed Ali in Baghdad)