Syrian official source denies Iraqi claims

An official source at the Syrian Foreign Ministry denied as unfounded claims by Iraqi Defense Ministry that an Iraqi citizen was arrested as he was trying to cross borders into Syria to return with a booby-trapped car.

The source also denied the confessions attributed to the Iraqi detainees against Syria. It said "such claims were untrue and badly damage the relations between the two sisterly countries," calling for putting an end to such campaigns. The source said the Foreign Ministry asked the Syrian Interests Section in Baghdad to present an official protest to the Iraqi Foreign Ministry over those claims.