Syrian soldiers protest in Iraq, demand return to homeland

Shafaq News/ Dozens of Syrian soldiers who sought refuge in Iraq after the fall of Bashar Al-Assad's regime held a protest on Tuesday, demanding to return to their country, an Iraqi security source reported.

The source told Shafaq News Agency, "The Syrian soldiers are currently residing in a designated area in Iraq where they receive all necessary services," explaining that "some of these soldiers wish to return to Syria, while others, including officers in the Syrian army, prefer to remain in Iraq."

"The Iraqi authorities have not yet issued any orders regarding the fate of these soldiers, whether to stay or return to Syria," the source continued, noting that "high-level authorities are currently studying this file."

Videos showed the Syrian soldiers during the protest, chanting in their dialect, "We want to return, let us go back to our country," urging the Iraqi authorities to allow them to return home.

As the Syrian army collapsed in the hours before Al-Assad's fall, Iraqi authorities allowed hundreds of fleeing Syrian soldiers to enter Iraq through Al-Qa'im border crossing.

An Iraqi security official said, "The number of Syrian soldiers who entered Iraq reached two thousand, including both officers and soldiers," adding that "their entry was coordinated with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and approved by the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani."