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Report: 11 Iranian pilgrims kidnapped in Syria

01 February 2012 17:53 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA.Iran’s English-language state Press TV says gunmen in Syria have kidnapped 11 Iranian pilgrims traveling by road from Hama to Damascus, APA reports quoting Associated Press.

Wednesday’s report didn’t provide further details. The abductions come less than a week after 11 other Iranian pilgrims were kidnapped after entering Syria across the Turkish border.

Iranian pilgrims routinely visit Syria, Iran’s closest ally in the Arab world, to pray at Shiite holy shrines. Iranian government officials have urged Iranians not to travel by road because of lack of security in the border regions.

Iran has strongly backed President Bashar Assad during Syria’s 10-month-old uprising.

In December, seven Iranian engineers building a power plant in central Syria were kidnapped and are still being held. No comment was immediately available from Syria.