generalspeaking

Attackers 'kill Syrian soldiers' in Iraq

They were among a group who had fled across the border into Iraq to escape an attack by anti-government rebels, Reuters quotes officials as saying.

They were being driven back to the border when they were attacked by unidentified gunmen, Reuters reports. Iraqis are also among the dead.
Syria has seen two years of conflict.

Tens of thousands of people have lost their lives as forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad fight those who oppose his rule.

The group of Syrian soldiers and government employees had entered Iraq through the Yaarubiyeh border in the northern Nineveh province over the weekend, as anti-government rebels launched an attack on the area.

They were being taken to the al-Waleed border crossing, further south in Anbar, when they were ambushed at Akashat, a senior Iraqi official told Reuters.

"Gunmen set up an ambush and killed 40 of them, plus some Iraqi soldiers who were protecting the convoy," he added.

The identity of the gunmen is not known.

Iraqi officials have warned that the ongoing violence in Syria could spill across the border.

Labels: Conflict, Iraq, Islamism, Revolution, Societal Failures, Syria

posted by Pieface @ Monday, March 04, 2013