Desertions shake government’s auxiliary forces in central Syria
HOMS, Syria (North Press) – A source from the auxiliary forces of the Syrian government forces said on Wednesday that during the past 24 hours, there have been unprecedented desertions among the ranks of the auxiliary forces in their positions in the village of Tayba, in the desert of Homs Governorate, in central Syria.
The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, stated to North Press that search operations for the deserters have not been launched yet due to fears of a potential ambush by the Islamic State (ISIS), especially in light of the recent spike in ISIS attacks on government forces.
On Tuesday, the Syrian Ministry of Defense said on its official Facebook account, “Eight soldiers and one civilian were killed, and13 others, including two civilians, were wounded in a terrorist attack with an explosive device on a military bus in Syrian al-Badyiah to the south of Palmyra [in Homs].”
The source said that the auxiliary forces deployed on the road connecting the towns of al-Sukhnah and al-Kawm, in Homs Governorate, suffered the loss of four fighters, while two others were injured in attacks by ISIS within the last 72 hours.
The source emphasized that the number of deserters has surpassed 20, adding that their whereabouts are currently unknown.