Syrian general, two colonels defect to Turkey with dozens of soldiers, families

ANKARA - Reuters

An image grab taken from a video uploaded on YouTube on June 22, 2012 allegedly shows five Syrian officers from the government forces announcing they are defecting from the army of the Syrian regime and joining the Syrian revolution. AFP PHOTO/HO/YOUTUBE

A Syrian general, two colonels, two majors, one lieutenant and 33 soldiers have defected from President Bashar al-Assad's forces and arrived in Turkey, Turkish state television said today, without giving any further details.
 
The private news channel CNN Turk also reported the defections of the soldiers, but said they had arrived with members of their families, making a total of 224 individuals.