Attack on Iraqi Travelers Temporarily Halts Border Crossing with Syria

The Al-Bukamal–Al-Qaim border crossing between Syria and Iraq was temporarily closed on Thursday after Iraqi travelers were attacked inside Syrian territory near the crossing, according to a site worker.

The worker said the incident occurred after the assailant protested a recent decision issued in Iraq concerning a Syrian man, prompting local authorities to suspend border traffic as a precautionary measure to protect travelers.

Media platforms had earlier reported that the Syrian man had been sentenced to death for praising Syrian Interim Prime Minister Ahmad Al-Sharaa, but the Iraqi judiciary denied those claims, confirming that the conviction was related to crimes involving terrorist leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and the promotion of violence against members of the Iraqi army and the Popular Mobilization Forces, and had no connection to Al-Sharaa.

The worker added that security forces swiftly intervened and arrested the attacker, expecting the border crossing to reopen within hours to resume the movement of travelers and goods between the two countries.