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Dozens of Members Desert from Pro-Turkish Militias to Their Original Areas
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Sultan Murad faction's arrests of defectors confirm the repressive policy practiced by Turkish-backed militias against their members
Twenty members managed to defect from the pro-Turkish "National Army" militias by crossing the earthen barrier with assistance from the Syrian Democratic Forces, seeking to return to their original areas.
The Syrian Democratic Forces facilitated the crossing of defectors, who took desert routes through Deir ez-Zor and Palmyra reaching Homs and Eastern Ghouta, taking advantage of foggy weather conditions to avoid pursuit.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights revealed a previous failed attempt by about twenty members of the "Hasakah Shield" brigade to defect, where they were arrested by the "Sultan Murad" militia near Aliya silos in the Ras al-Ain countryside.
Observatory activists explained that the detainees were trying to reach areas controlled by the Syrian Democratic Forces to surrender themselves and return to their regions before being led to an unknown destination.
The increase in defection attempts reflects a state of discontent within the ranks of pro-Turkish militias, while the Syrian Democratic Forces' lenient handling of defectors shows a different approach in managing the region.
Levant-Agencies
