At least 15 foreign fighters desert Islamic State in Syria

Margada (Syria): At least 15 foreign jihadists have deserted from the Islamic State militant group in the town of Margada in northeastern Syria, local news site ARA News said on Wednesday, quoting local sources.

"The defectors were Western members of the group who have been recently transferred from Iraq's city of Mosul to Margada in Syria's Hasakah province," media activist Ghassan al-Omari was quoted as telling ARA News.

"They have apparently lost hope of winning the fight against the US-backed Iraqi and Syrian forces, which led them to abandon the ISIS ranks and escape," al-Omari told ARA News.

IS's al-Hisba police force was unable to find the jihadists in the area and they are believed to have crossed the border into neighbouring Turkey, ARA News reported, citing local activist and IS sources.

IS installed new security checkpoints and deployed dozens of guards in the Margada area following the desertions, according to ARA News.

Dozens of militants have recently deserted from IS amidst growing internal rifts over power and money, the news site said, citing local monitors.

Margada is IS's last stronghold in Hasakah province and is located near the border with the province of Deir Ezzor, which is mainly under IS control.