Iraqi soldier killed in clash with Syrian rebels [View all]

[Alamuti Lotus]

Source: al-Akhbar/AFP

Clashes between Iraqi border police and gunmen who crossed from Syria into western Iraq killed a policeman and wounded five on Saturday, an officer said.

The gunmen travelling in five four-wheel-drive vehicles crossed into Iraq's Anbar province about six miles (10 kilometers) from the Al-Waleed border crossing with Syria, Major Shihab Taha of the border police said.

Clashes broke out between the gunmen and the border police inside Iraq, killing one policeman and wounding five, Taha said, putting the number of gunmen killed at two.

The toll could not be confirmed, however, with the gunmen taking the bodies with them when they returned to Syria.

Iraq has sought to publicly avoid taking sides in the civil war between the Syrian government and rebels seeking his overthrow it, but the conflict has spilled over the border on several occasions.

Read more: http://english.al-akhbar.com/content/iraqi-soldier-killed-clash-syrian-rebels