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       BAGHDAD: Iraq sent back nearly 2,000 Syrian soldiers on Thursday to their homeland after they had sought refuge in Iraq during the advance of rebel forces that toppled President Bashar al-Assad earlier this month, according to an Iraqi military statement.

       The Syrian soldiers were returned at their request and entered via a border crossing between Iraq and Syria, it said. “In coordination with some parties on the Syrian side, 1,905 Syrian officers and soldiers were handed over in a legal manner to a protection force on the Syrian side at the Al-Qaim border crossing,” the statement said.

       Their weapons remained in the possession of the Iraqi defence ministry and would be handed over to a new Syrian government once formed, it added.

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       The troops crossed the border into Iraq shortly before Syrian rebels led by Ahmed al-Sharaa seized the capital Damascus unopposed on Dec 8 after a lightning advance that sent Assad fleeing to Russia. Some had been wounded, the source said.

       Weapons would be handed over to a new Syrian govt once formed

       The Syrian General Command led by Sharaa has appointed a caretaker government, with Mohammad al-Bashir as prime minister till March. The Iraqi military said the Syrian troops were returned after writing pledges asking to be included in an amnesty issued by the new Syrian authorities.

       “The Iraqi security forces call on the current Syrian authorities to take care of the officers and soldiers who have been returned, include them in the amnesty, and ensure their return to their honourable families who are waiting for them, in compliance with human rights standards and in a showing of good faith,” the statement said.

       Robust measures

       Senior Iraqi official said the repatriation would take place under “the supervision of international organisations”. Syria’s new rulers have put out a call to soldiers and police to lay down their arms and register with the authorities.

       Iraqi Deputy Commander of Joint Operations Lieutenant General Qais al-Mohammadawi told Iraqi media on Wednesday that the soldiers had had their “names, equipment and weapons carefully inventoried”.

       The deputy commander also emphasised the robust security measures in place along Iraq’s borders with Syria. “Our borders are fortified and completely secure,” he said, declaring that no unauthorised crossings would be permitted, reported by Al Arab news.

       Muhammadawi said that all border crossings with Syria are under tight control, stating: “We will not allow a terrorist to enter our territory.”

       Assad fled Syria as an offensive spearheaded by the Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) closed in on Damascus, more than 13 years after his crackdown on democracy protests morphed into one of the deadliest wars of the century. Taking city after city in a matter of days, rebels faced little resistance and reached Damascus on Dec 8.

       In the past 10 days, HTS has appointed a new interim government and urged Syrians abroad, some displaced for more than a decade, to return to their homeland.

       It also allowed former Syrian soldiers who served under Mr Al Assad’s regime to reconcile their status with the interim government. The plan is to register their details so they can obtain new identity cards, allowing them to live freely and move around the country, according to The National.

       Published in Dawn, December 20th, 2024