3 Iranian drivers abducted in Syria

TEHRAN, May 23 (MNA) - Iran’s charge d’affaires to Syria, Abbas Gulrou, confirmed reports that three Iranian truck drivers were abducted in Syria late on Tuesday. “Despite repeated warnings by the embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the relevant organizations about overland trips to Syria, unfortunately, some ignore the warnings and enter Syria overland via Turkey without making arrangements with the embassy and the relevant authorities and are assaulted and abducted by armed Syrian opposition groups,” Gulrou told the Mehr News Agency. “Morteza Adeli, Hossein Aalinejad, and Esmaeil Mohammad-Zeynali were the drivers of the trucks carrying goods from Iran to Syria,” he added. The contractor and the relevant transportation company are to blame for the incident, Gulrou said, adding, “Unfortunately, the negligence spoiled all efforts of the relevant officials to help obtain the release of the Iranian nationals abducted” in Syria. The Iranian envoy was referring to the abduction of seven Iranian engineers and 22 Iranian pilgrims in Syria over the past few months. So far, two of the engineers and 20 pilgrims have been freed.