Syria Rejects Iraqi Comments on Insurgents

Syria has expressed "deep regret" over an Iraqi statement that Damascus is not taking serious steps to prevent insurgents from crossing into Iraqi territory.

Iraqi Interior Minister Bayan Jabr told the Associated Press Sunday that he was not optimistic Damascus would crack down on the insurgents. He said he has photographs and addresses of insurgent leaders in Syria but indicated they had not yet been captured.

Syria's state-run SANA news agency quotes an unidentified foreign ministry official as saying Mr. Jabr's interview "contradicts" previous agreements with Baghdad. The official added that Syria is committed to good relations with Iraq and to helping stop violence in that country.

The official was also quoted as saying Syria has deployed what he described as a "great number" of soldiers to the border and increased the number of checkpoints.

Some information for this report provided by AP.