- Title: IRAQ: Iraq says raid targeted insurgents in Syria.
- Date: 28th October 2008
- Summary: (W3) BAGHDAD, IRAQ (OCTOBER 27, 2008) (AGENCY POOL) ALI AL-DABBAGH, IRAQI GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN TALKING WITH REPORTER (SOUNDBITE ) (Arabic) ALI AL-DABBAGH, IRAQI GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN SAYING : "Communication is still continuing with the U.S. side regarding the raid targeting an area on the Syrian side of Iraq's border. This area has witnessed infiltration by terrorist group
- Embargoed: 12th November 2008 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Iraq
- Country: Iraq
- Topics: International Relations
- Reuters ID: LVACHBB40Y8WPCO8MK85M97HUK8S
- Story Text: Iraqi spokesman says terrorist groups were target of Syrian raid but will not say who carried out the attack.
A deadly raid on the Syrian side of Iraq's border targeted an area used by insurgents responsible for cross-border attacks into Iraq, Iraqi government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh said on Monday (October 27).
"Communication is still continuing with the U.S. side regarding the raid targeting an area on the Syrian side of Iraq's border. This area has witnessed infiltration by terrorist groups that carried out terrorist acts on Iraq's land. We have alerted our brothers in Syria. There were terrorist acts that took place in the past. The latest of these groups killed 13 police recruits in an (Iraqi) border village. Iraq had asked Syria to hand over this group which uses Syria as a base for its terrorist activities," he said.
Syria has said U.S. helicopters carried out the strike late on Sunday (October 26), which killed eight people. Washington has not confirmed or denied such an attack, and Dabbagh would not say who had carried it out.
The spokesman said Iraq continues to seek good relations with Syria, but that the presence of some anti-Iraq groups in Syria would be a hindrance to these relations.
Syria has urged the Iraqi government to carry out an immediate inquiry into the attack and to ensure that Iraq was not used for "aggression against Syria," the state news agency SANA said.
In response to the Syrian Government , Al-Dabbagh said that Iraq's government would not mind holding an immediate inquiry into the attacks including recent attacks in Iraq.
"The armed groups were launched from neighbouring countries and carried out terrorist attacks against Iraqis. We have evidence too and we do not mind holding an investigation regarding the attacks that took place in Iraq and other neighbouring countries," he said. - Copyright Holder: POOL (CAN SELL)
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