The
Syrian Foreign Ministry confirmed the defection of its ambassador to Baghdad
Nawaf al-Fares, noting that he left his office without prior authorization.
In a statement reported by Syria's state news agency,
the ministry said Nawaf Fares had been "relieved of his duties" and
should face "legal and disciplinary accountability."
Fares announced his defection in a video released
Wednesday, saying he was siding with "the revolution" against Assad. He
is the highest profile diplomat to defect in the uprising and the second
prominent figure to leave the regime in a week
Later
on Thursday, Iraq's foreign minister told reporters later on Thursday that Fares
is currently in Qatar.
White House’s position on defection of Syrian ambassador to
Iraq
The
White House said on Thursday that the defection of a Syrian ambassador showed
that desperation was growing within President Bashar Assad's government and was
a further sign that he was losing his grip on power.
Defector Tlas in contact with Syrian opposition fighters
Syrian general Manaf Tlas, a
former friend and ally of President Bashar al-Assad who fled Damascus last
week, is in contact with Syrian opposition rebels, French Foreign Minister
Laurent Fabius said on Thursday.
"I know the opposition and this general
have approached each other ... contact has been made," Fabius told
reporters in Paris.
Tlas, a member of Syria's Sunni Muslim
majority, fled late last week and was reported to be on his way to Paris to
join his family.
Erdogan, Putin to meet in Moscow
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is expected to
visit Moscow next Wednesday to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The meeting
will mainly revolve around the Syrian crisis, according to a statement issued
by Erdogan’s office.
Meanwhile, Russia’s deputy
foreign minister said that Moscow will not accept any U.N. Security Council
resolution on Syria calling for the use of Chapter 7, Interfax reported on
Thursday.
In the field
In the field, 38 people were
killed across Syria and the town of al-Traymsa in Hama was subject to heavy
shelling.
Meanwhile, security forces
fired mortars into a district on the outskirts of Damascus on Thursday,
activists said, the first time an area in the Syrian capital is shelled since
the 16-month-old uprising against President Bashar al-Assad
began.
Activists in the Kafar Souseh neighborhood of
Damascus said security forces were firing mortars into orchards on the outskirts
of the city, close to the capital's southern highway, to try to force out
rebels they believe are hiding there.
Also on Thursday, SANA reported
that two boats used by gunmen to transport arms and ammunition to terrorist
groups were destroyed on Thursday.
For the full report, watch the video above.