BAGHDAD, Iraq: Iraqi Premier Ibrahim Al-Jafari on Thursday called on neighboring countries to block the infiltration of terrorists trying to start a civil war as terrorism continued in the country.

In a message aimed at Syria, Al-Jafari said non-Iraqis in neighboring countries filtering across the border were responsible for carrying out "sabotage activities."

After a meeting with visiting US Deputy Secretary of State Robert Zoellick, Al-Jafari said his government will do its best "to preserve relations between us and our neighbors, but there are red lines — which are that they don't interfere in our internal affairs, or allow people to cross" into Iraq.

Meanwhile, an aide to Ayatullah Sayyed Ali As-Sistani, Muhammad Tahir Al-Allaq, was shot to death Thursday in Baghdad, the second of his aides martyred this week.