EQUIPO NIZKOR |
|
22Jul12
Syrian army retake border post with Iraq
The Syrian army retook control of a border crossing point with Iraq's northern province of Nineveh after being seized by opposition forces the day before, an Iraqi official told Xinhua.
"The Syrian government troops re-controlled al-Yarubiyah border post after early morning clashes with the Syrian opposition forces, " said Mohammed Eiyada, a member of the municipality of the town of Rabiea, an Iraqi town close to Yarubiyah border post.
"We can see now the Syrian government flag raised again on the main building of the border post," Eiyada said, adding that the crossing point is now closed.
On Saturday afternoon, Syrian opposition militants took over the crossing point and occupied its buildings after more than 30 minutes of fierce clash with the Syrian government troops.
Iraq has an around 600-km-long borderline with Syria and two bordering provinces of Anbar and Nineveh. The border crossings had witnessed closure in history when crises intensified on either side.
Syria has been wrecked by bombings and violence since March 2011, when anti-government protests began. The unrest has claimed the lives of thousands of people, including large numbers of security forces.
[Source: Xinhua, Baghdad, 22Jul12]
 | This document has been published on 03Aug12 by the Equipo Nizkor and Derechos Human Rights. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. |