1000+ 'Assad Supporters' Defect & Join Freedom Fighters: A Refusal 2 Shoot Unarmed Civilians

'Dozens killed' in Syria protests - Middle East - Al Jazeera English




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'Dozens killed' in Syria protests - Middle East - Al Jazeera English



Army defectors 'a cover'

The Syrian government has banned most foreign journalists from entering the country and placed heavy restrictions on local media coverage, making it difficult to independently verify events on the ground.

The UN estimates that about 2,700 people have been killed in a violent government crackdown on pro-reform protests that began mid-March.

The government says that the movement against Assad does not have popular support and blames violence on "armed terrorist groups". It says that more than 700 soldiers and police have been killed in the uprising.

An army defector operating in the province of Idlib, northwest of al-Rastan, told the Reuters news agency that defectors were using guerrilla tactics against the heavily armed loyalist forces.

Activists say up to 1,000 army soldiers deserted to join the protesters in al-Rastan, but that figure is disputed.

"There are at least 100 army defectors in Rastan and 600 gunmen," one activist, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Reuters.

"The defectors are forming a cover for the gunmen so that everybody can say this is the army fighting among itself."

The Damascus-based activist who spoke to Al Jazeera claimed that there were as many as 10,000 members of what he called the "Free Syrian Army" across the country.

Elias Hanna, a retired Lebanese army general and security analyst, told Al Jazeera that it so far appears that the number of desertions is "not really causing a major crack within the Syrian army". [ read more at link ]