2,000 Syrian Soldiers Seek Refuge In Iraq Tent City

Ammar, a Syrian earthquake survivor, chats with his children outside their tent in Antakya

Over the weekend, more than 2,000 Syrian army soldiers sought refuge in Iraq following the collapse of the Syrian government. The Iraqi government has responded by creating a tent city to accommodate these soldiers who fled their country.

The Iraqi Defense Ministry instructed military units in western Anbar province to establish a camp with hundreds of tents to house the 2,150 Syrian soldiers. The mayor of the nearby town of Rutba, Imad al-Dulaimi, confirmed this development.

Iraq created a tent city in Anbar province to accommodate the fleeing soldiers.

2,150 Syrian army soldiers sought refuge in Iraq over the weekend.

The soldiers voluntarily surrendered themselves to Iraqi authorities.

According to al-Dulaimi, the Syrian soldiers voluntarily surrendered themselves to Iraqi authorities out of fear of potential reprisals in Syria after the fall of the Assad regime. The soldiers made their way into Iraq as rebel forces made significant advances in Syria.

Reports from Iraq's state-run INA news agency indicated that at least 2,000 Syrian soldiers had crossed the border into Iraq seeking safety and protection.