Baladi News – (Abdul Kader Mohammad)
Since the beginning of the Syrian revolution, defection from Assad’s army had taken place successively, until the number of defectors reached tens of thousands. However, the defection rate decreased recently due to the tight grip of the security forces on the army.
Mohammad Zakaria, a soldier from Aleppo northern countryside, who defected from the army one month ago, said, “Since I went to the compulsory service in 2011, I had always wanted to defect. I had made three failed attempts, and therefore I was put in jail for six months and placed under surveillance. ”
“After the change of all officers and troops as well as our movements to several areas, the last of which is Daraa, I was able to obtain a leave to be spent in Damascus exclusively. In Damascus, I met my father as well as some friends to coordinate my defection. After that, and with a lot of difficulty, I was able to reach Aleppo northern countryside,” added Zakaria.
The speaker clarified that Assad’s army had changed into a number of local and foreign sectarian and racist militias, adding that there are a lot of soldiers who want to defect, but they cannot because the regime uses unknown spies who trapped many of them.