Syrian TV: Military official defects with soldiers

A Syrian military official has defected in protest at a government crackdown on months of demonstrations against President Bashar al-Assad's rule, footage on Al Jazeera English's website showed on Saturday.

Flanked by soldiers brandishing rifles, a man named by Al Jazeera as Colonel Afeef Mahmoud Suleiman read out a statement saying they were defecting after witnessing acts of violence by the army on protesters. (Reuters)