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Around 2,000 Syrian Soldiers Cross into Iraq via Al-Qaim Border, Iraqi Officials Confirm

Dec 7, 2024, 02:38 PM

On Saturday, December 7, 2024, hundreds of Syrian soldiers crossed into Iraq via the Al-Qaim border crossing, with numbers increasing to around 2,000 by day's end, according to local officials, the Iraqi News Agency, and security sources cited by Reuters. The soldiers entered in coordination with Iraqi forces, with some reportedly wounded and receiving medical treatment. Turki Al-Mahlawi, the mayor of the border town of Al-Qaim, confirmed that the troops sought refuge in Iraq amid escalating conflict in Syria. The mass crossing follows advances by rebel and jihadist forces in southern Syria, leading to a rapid deterioration of the military situation for Syrian government forces.