(CNN) — Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s military may have more cracks in its armor as dozens more soldiers, including a general and two colonels, have defected across the border, Turkish media reported Monday.
The 33 army defectors entered Turkey and were sent to a camp in southern Hatay province, the Anadolu news agency said, citing authorities.
Malik el Kurdi, the deputy commander of the rebel Free Syrian Army, speaking to CNN by telephone from the Apaydin refugee camp, said that within the past week a general and three colonels had arrived, but he had not seen a group of more than 30 new deserters.
The refugee camp houses the proclaimed leadership and other members of the FSA, the opposition force made up of Syrian army defectors.
“I receive soldiers daily,” el Kurdi added. “There are rumors, but I haven’t received anyone in that number.”
The defections included a Syrian general and at least four other officers, according to a Turkish Foreign Ministry official and a commander in the Free Syrian Army camp in Turkey.
All were from the Syrian city of Homs, the commander said.
Both officials spoke to CNN on condition of anonymity.
More than 33,000 Syrians have fled to Turkey to escape the violence in their country, Anadolu reported.
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seems were getting draged into war, or am i being an alarmist.
We’ll get dragged into a full-blown Middle Eastern war when Egypt goes full retard and unleashes holy hell on Israel with the full support of their new buddies in Iran. Syria is a side-show for now.