ERBIL – On Monday, the Public Relations Office of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) handed over 12 members of the Syrian government forces (Syrian Arab Army) to their families in an undisclosed location.

According to the SDF they ran away ‘from the regime forces and resorted to the Syrian Democratic Forces because of the suffering and ill-treatment committed by regime forces,” the SDF said.

“The SDF is the only solution and the greatest embrace of the Syrian people as a whole and everyone notices this. The SDF will receive anybody who flees from the Syrian army. If anyone would like to join us, we will welcome and receive them,” the SDF website said.

The statement did not indicate from which city the SAA soldiers defected from.

"The regime forced us [regime soldiers] to torture civilians, and if they didn’t kill them, rob them of their properties,” said Ahmed Mohammed al-Khalaf, a member of the Syrian Arab Army.



Al-Khalaf said he had tried to split from the Syrian Arab Army and join the SDF along time ago, but had no opportunity and thanked the SDF for this opportunity.



“He thanked the efforts of all those who helped him in this work and thanked the SDF that freed him from the forces of the regime and handed him over to his family,” according to a statement.

Over the last few years, Syrian conscript soldiers that ran away from the Syrian army base in Qamishli were also allowed to leave and welcomed by the Kurdish-led forces in the city even if they supported the Syrian opposition rebels that have fought the Kurds in the past. They were welcomed to join the SDF, or leave in peace and rejoin their families inside or outside Syria.

Tensions increased between the Syrian government and the Kurdish-led SDF forces after the US announced a plan to create a 30,000 strong border force in northern Syria.



"Syria considers any Syrian who participates in these militias sponsored by the Americans as a traitor to their people and nation, and will deal with them on this basis,” an official in Syria’s Foreign Ministry said on Monday according to Syria’s state news agency SANA.

