Iraqi ambassador in Syria Ala al-Jawadi speaks during a news conference at his office in Damascus August 25, 2009. Iraq and Syria recalled their ambassadors on Tuesday after Baghdad demanded Damascus hand over two people it says masterminded bombings in the Iraqi capital last week which killed almost 100 people. Iraq's Shi'ite-led government has blamed supporters of Saddam Hussein's outlawed Baath party for massive truck bombs and other attacks last Wednesday, and says it has already captured some suspects it deems responsible.  (Xinhua/Reuters Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    DAMASCUS, Aug. 25 (Xinhua)-- Syria decided to recall its ambassador to Iraq as a response to Iraq's recall of its ambassador, a Syrian official source said.

    "As a reaction to Baghdad's recalling of its ambassador from Damascus, Syria decided to summon its ambassador from Baghdad," the source, which was not identified, was quoted by the official news agency SANA as saying.

    Iraq has recalled its ambassador to Syria and demanded the Syrian government to hand over senior Baath party members for their alleged roles in last week's deadly truck bombings in Baghdad that killed 97 and injured some 585, an Iraqi government spokesman said on Tuesday.

    The Syrian official source said, "the Syrian government completely rejects the remarks of the Iraqi government's spokesman on Baghdad bloody bombings last Wednesday," adding Syria had already strongly condemned the terrorist attacks that claimed the lives of many Iraqi civilians.

    "Syria informed the Iraqi side of its readiness to receive an Iraqi delegation to see available evidences at their side concerning the bombings perpetrators. Otherwise, Syria considers what has been broadcast through the Iraqi media mere fabricated evidences intended to serve internal political goals, and the conflicting statements by the Iraqi officials is an evidence of that," the source added.

    Two days ago, Iraq's Baghdad operations command spokesman Major General Qassim Atta showed a videotape at a press conference aired by the official television of Iraqia, which showed the confession of Ali Kadhim Ibrahim, a high-ranking member of Saddam Hussein's Baath party.

Iraq's chief military spokesman Brigadier General Qassim Atta shows a video of what he said was a supporter of late dictator Saddam Hussein's Baath party confessing to organising one of the truck bomb blasts last week during a media conference in Baghdad August 23, 2009. The man described as a former police chief named Wissam Ali Kadhim Ibrahim said he had orchestrated the bombing in which 95 people died together with a leader of a branch of the now outlawed Baath party who was living in Syria.  (Xinhua/Reuters Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    Ibrahim confessed his responsibility for planning and organizing the suicide truck bombings, and the name of Sattam Ibrahim as the one who phoned him a month ago from Syria and ordered him to carry out an attack that would destabilize the security in Baghdad.

A photo taken from a Baghdad Operations Command television screen shows a man identified as former police chief named Wissam Ali Khadhim during a media conference in Baghdad August 23, 2009. An Iraqi official on Sunday showed a video of what he said was a supporter of late dictator Saddam Hussein's Baath party confessing to organising one of the truck bomb blasts last week in which 95 people died. The man, who appeared oddly calm for someone accused of taking part in the bloodiest attack of the year in Iraq, said he had orchestrated the bombing together with a leader of a branch of the now outlawed Baath party who was living in Syria.  (Xinhua/Reuters Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    Mohammed Younis al-Ahmed was also mentioned in Ibrahim's confession as the leader of Saddam Hussein's Baath party wing in Syria, and the one behind the violence in Iraq.

    The Syrian Foreign Ministry last Thursday issued a statement which strongly condemned the deadly attacks in Baghdad and expressed great grief over the loss of a large number of lives and casualties.

    The Syrian official source noted that Syria has "frequently repeated its keenness on the unity, independence, security and stability of Iraq," and was regretful that "relations between Syria and Iraq become tied to internal disagreements and maybe foreign agendas."

    The Baghdad bombings made last Wednesday the most fatal day in nearly 18 months of Iraq.