DOHA, December 19. /TASS/. Iraq’s authorities have handed over to the Syrian side more than 1,900 servicemen who fled the country during the advance of the opposition’s armed formations, the Iraqi Joint Operations Command said in a statement.

According to the statement, on the morning of December 19, "in coordination with some Syrian forces, 1,905 Syrian officers and affiliated individuals were returned and officially handed over to Syrian forces at Al-Qa’im border checkpoint." The Iraqi military command specified that on Wednesday, 36 individuals who worked at Abu Kamal checkpoint on the border between the two countries returned to Syria.

The Syrian servicemen were sent back home as requested by the country’s new authorities and filed a relevant written agreement before their return. The Iraqi authorities urged Syria’s current government to ensure the security of the returning military, guarantee their amnesty and reunification with families.

On Thursday, Al Watan reported that Syria’s authorities intend to bring back 2,400 Syrian servicemen who deserted to Iraq from Deir ez-Zor Province. According to the newspaper, the main command of the alliance of armed opposition forces now in control of Syria was holding talks with the Iraqi authorities on handing over the servicemen who fled to Iraq.

In late November, armed opposition units launched a large-scale offensive on positions held by Syrian government forces in the Aleppo and Idlib provinces, capturing several major cities: Aleppo, Hama, Deraa, and Homs. On December 8, they entered Damascus, prompting government troops to withdraw from the capital. Bashar Assad stepped down as Syrian president and left the country. On December 10, Mohammed al-Bashir, who had led the so-called Syrian Salvation Government in the Idlib Province since January 2024, announced his appointment as head of Syria’s interim government. The interim period is expected to last until March 1, 2025.