30 Syrian soldiers defect during clashes near Latakia
Desertions occur as Assad forces and rebels clash in coastal village home to a presidential palace
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleIlan Ben Zion is an AFP reporter and a former news editor at The Times of Israel.
Thirty Syrian soldiers defected from President Bashar Assad’s army on Saturday from their post near a presidential palace in Latakia, according to Al Arabiya.
The report of Assad forces defecting came as government forces clashed with Syrian rebels in the coastal city. They are the latest in a steady trickle of desertions by Syrian Army officers and soldiers since the conflict began 13 months ago.
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Saturday’s fighting took place in the village of Burj Islam, where one of Assad’s presidential palaces is located, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported.
The attacks happened a day after a bomb detonated near a mosque in Damascus killing nine people and injuring more than 20. Government news outlets described the attack as a “terrorist bombing” and claimed the victims were civilians and government forces.
Eighteen others were killed across Syria on Friday, according to the Local Coordination Committees.
The Times of Israel Community.