‘Thousands of Syrian soldiers cross into Iraq’

Baghdad: More than 4,000 Syrian army soldiers have crossed into Iraq since rebel forces seized Damascus and overthrew the government of Bashar Assad, a mili-tia official in western Iraq said Monday.

The official with the Anbar Tribal Mobilisation Forces said that the soldiers had turned over their weapons, ammunition and armoured vehicles and would be housed in a camp. He did not say where the camp was located.

Another security official said that the governor of the Syrian province of Hasakeh had come to the border late Sunday night with a convoy of Syrian army soldiers who wanted to cross into Iraq, and they were allowed in via the Qaim crossing. Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about the matter.

The Iraqi government has close ties with Iran and used to be one of Assad’s primary backers but Baghdad has taken a neutral position on the advance of the insurgents and Assad’s downfall.