The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) has reported that several battalions of the Turkish-backed ‘Sultan Murad’ militia have defected from the Syrian National Army (SNA), claiming that the Syrian fighters were opposed to further deployments to Libya. The defections are estimated to be around 700.
According to reports, some of the battalions that defected have withdrawn from their positions on the frontlines against regime forces and the SDF in Ras Al-Ain countryside, in north-western Al-Hasakah.
On Tuesday, the SOHR announced that the number of Syrian fighters transported to take part in the Libyan conflict has reached 11,000. The death toll among Syrians in Libya is estimated at approximately 261 fighters.