Syrian minister visits Iraq as violence continues

SYRIA’S foreign minister arrived in Baghdad yesterday at a time when his country is increasingly seen as key to helping stem the insurgency in Iraq.

The sectarian violence continued yesterday, with the deadliest attack in the Shi’ite city of Hillah, where a suicide bomber in a minivan lured day labourers to his vehicle with promises of a job then blew it up, killing 22 people, police said.

The Iraqi government and its US sponsors accuse Syria of allowing foreign fighters to cross into Iraq. Syria denies the charge, saying it is impossible to control the long desert border.