Civil War In Syria -- News Updates March 5, 2013

Damaged areas in Deir al-Zour, an eastern city, on Sunday. Khalil Ashawi/Reuters

Massacre Of Syrian Soldiers In Iraq Raises Risk Of Widening Conflict -- New York Times

BAGHDAD — More than 40 Syrian soldiers who had sought temporary safety in Iraq from rebel fighters along the border were killed on Monday in an attack by unidentified gunmen as the Iraqi military was transporting the soldiers back to Syria in a bus convoy, the Iraqi government said.

At least seven Iraqis were also reported killed in the attack, which appeared to be the most serious spillover of violence into Iraq since the Syrian conflict began two years ago.

Ali al-Musawi, a spokesman for Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki, accused “armed groups from the Iraqi and Syrian side” of coordinating the attack, which he described as an ambush. He said Iraq would deploy more security forces on the border. Middle East experts said such a move raised the risk that the Iraqis could become more directly enmeshed in the Syrian conflict, underscoring how it threatens to destabilize a wider swath of the region.

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More News On The Syrian Civil War

Syria Live Blog -- Al Jazeera
Syrian jets bomb rebel-seized Raqqa - Tuesday 5 March 2013 -- The Guardian

Syrian rebels reported in control of first provincial capital -- NBC
Fierce fighting reported in Syrian city of Raqqah -- L.A. Times
Syrian rebels battle pockets of regime forces in northern city, capture provincial governor -- Washington Post/AP
Syrian Rebels Fight to Hold Northern City -- New York Times
Syrian rebels battle regime forces after capturing governor of northern province -- FOX News/AP
Syria rebels capture northern Raqqa city -- Al Jazeera
Syrian warplanes target fallen city of Raqqa: opposition -- Reuters
Syria crisis: Warplanes 'bomb Raqqa after rebel gains' -- BBC
As Syrian Rebels Conquer Their First City, Assad Makes Bizarre Comments About Victory -- Business Insider/AFP

Iraqi official: 48 Syrians killed in attack in western Iraq -- CNN
Dozens of pro-Assad Syrian soldiers, officials slain in neighboring Iraq -- NBC
Syria's violence continues its march across borders, into Iraq -- Christian Science Monitor

Syrian Forces Hit Two Cities as Rebels Claim Advances -- Wall Street Journal
Low on ammo, rebels drive in northern Syria slows -- Huffington Post/AP
Bakery attacks prove civilians targeted -- UPI
Syrian Rebels Make Significant Military, Political Gains -- NPR (Audio)

Israel issues warning on war spillover from Syria -- Examiner
Israel warns it cannot "stand idle" as Syria war spills over border -- Reuters
Israel says closely monitoring Syria battlefronts -- Global Post/AFP

US general says situation in Syria too complicated right now to provide rebels with lethal aid -- Washington Post/AP
U.S. more confident arms flowing to Syria moderates: Kerry -- Reuters
Kerry appears to confirm US helping train Syrian opposition -- FOX News

It Looks Like Iraq Has Joined Assad's Side In The Syrian War -- Michael Kelley, Business Insider
Two Years of Civil War in Syria, and What About the Future? -- Dr. Josef Olmert, Huffington Post
Assad loses a city -- David Kenner, Passport/Foreign Policy
John Kerry's Syria File -- Geoffrey Aronson, Al-Monitor