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Gunmen seize border crossing point with Syria in western Iraq

17 June 2014 18:24 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. Gunmen on Tuesday took control of a border crossing point of al-Qaim on the Iraqi-Syrian border after the Iraqi security forces withdrew, a provincial police source said, APA reports quoting Xinhua.

The attackers are believed to be loyal to the Syrian opposition militants who already controlled the Syrian side of the crossing, the source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.

The gunmen seized weapons and equipment of the Iraqi security forces who left their posts and buildings, the source said.

Later in the day, an army force unit backed by local tribal fighters are gathering in the city of al-Qaim, some 330 km northwest of the Iraqi capital of Baghdad, in an attempt to retake control of the border crossing, the source added without giving further details.

The attack of the rebels came one day after the Iraqi security forces seized the border crossing point and the city of al-Qaim.

Large parts of the province are now in the hands of militant groups since last week after bloody clashes with Iraqi security forces. The militant groups seized swathes of territories after the Iraqi security forces withdrew from their posts in Nineveh and other predominantly Sunni provinces.