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Syrian General en route to France after defecting
Earlier, reports said that Brigadier Manaf Tlas, a senior commander in the elite Republican Guard, fled to Turkey.
Zeenews Bureau
Paris: French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius on Friday announced that the top Syrian General, who defected from the regime led by Bashar al-Assad, is on his way to Paris.
Earlier, reports said that Brigadier Manaf Tlas, a senior commander in the elite Republican Guard, fled to Turkey. A ‘Friends of Syria’ conference is taking place in the French capital.
The desertion of Brigadier Manaf Tlas, a senior commander in the elite Republican Guard, has dealt a humiliating personal blow to Assad and represents a major scalp for the opposition.
Brigadier Tlas was once a close confidante of the President, serving as a member of Assad’s small inner circle and the central committee of the Syria`s Ba`ath Party.
According to The Telegraph, a pro-government website Syriasteps, with links to the Syrian security services confirmed the defection, saying that Brigadier Tlas had fled to Turkey, but played down the impact of the development.
“His escape does not mean anything,” a security official was quoted by the website as saying. According to opposition sources, 15 brigadiers have joined rebels camped near the border in recent months.
But Brig Tlas is by far the most significant of these defectors, the paper said.
The defection could prompt other members of the Sunni elite who have remained loyal to the President to follow suit.
(With ANI inputs)
Paris: French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius on Friday announced that the top Syrian General, who defected from the regime led by Bashar al-Assad, is on his way to Paris.
Earlier, reports said that Brigadier Manaf Tlas, a senior commander in the elite Republican Guard, fled to Turkey. A ‘Friends of Syria’ conference is taking place in the French capital.
The desertion of Brigadier Manaf Tlas, a senior commander in the elite Republican Guard, has dealt a humiliating personal blow to Assad and represents a major scalp for the opposition.
Brigadier Tlas was once a close confidante of the President, serving as a member of Assad’s small inner circle and the central committee of the Syria`s Ba`ath Party.
According to The Telegraph, a pro-government website Syriasteps, with links to the Syrian security services confirmed the defection, saying that Brigadier Tlas had fled to Turkey, but played down the impact of the development.
“His escape does not mean anything,” a security official was quoted by the website as saying. According to opposition sources, 15 brigadiers have joined rebels camped near the border in recent months.
But Brig Tlas is by far the most significant of these defectors, the paper said.
The defection could prompt other members of the Sunni elite who have remained loyal to the President to follow suit.
(With ANI inputs)