At least 33 Syrian soldiers killed in Iraq: army

At least 33 Syrian soldiers and seven Iraqis were killed on Monday as gunmen ambushed a convoy which had crossed into Iraq to escape weekend fighting, a group of Iraqi army officers said.

The Syrian soldiers had entered Iraq through the Yaarubiyeh border crossing, the scene of heavy fighting on Saturday between President Bashar al-Assad’s troops and rebels seeking his overthrow, three officers told AFP.