Naharnet

20 ISF Members Forced to Defect 'over Army, Hizbullah Practices in Arsal, Syria'

A number of Internal Security Forces were forced to defect by al-Nusra Front members on Sunday after being taken captive by the group, said LBCI television.

Twenty security forces members were shown announcing their defection “from the army and Hizbullah” in a video uploaded to Youtube.

The members announced that they were defecting in protest against the army's “targeting of civilians in the eastern Bekaa region of Arsal.”

They also declared their condemnation of Hizbullah's “terrorist actions” in Syria.

The ISF members were made to present themselves to the camera and later condemn the army and Hizbullah's practices.

At the end of the video, a captor was seen presenting the defected members with candy.

Clashes erupted on Saturday between the army and al-Nusra Front in Arsal following the arrest of a prominent member of the armed group.

Eight soldiers were killed in the unrest and a number of others were wounded.

The security forces members shown in the video were taken captive during the fighting.


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