Azerbaijan, Baku, September 5 /Trend A.Tagiyeva/
Former Syrian Defense Minister Ali Habib joined the opposition and escaped to Turkey, Sabah newspaper reported on Thursday.
The publication reported that Habib was dismissed from his post in 2011 due to disagreements with the country's authorities. As the newspaper reported Habib's defection to the opposition is connected with the upcoming military operation against Syria.
Some Western countries, as well as Turkey have already supported intervention in Syria following another escalation of the situation there. On August 21, Media outlets reported on a large-scale deployment of chemical weapons near Damascus by Syrian Government Troops. Over 600 people were the victims of the attack.
Earlier, the US president declared that the use of chemical weapon is a "red line" for the Assad regime. Media outlets reported on the preparation of the Navy and Air Force of these countries to begin intervention.
The clashes between the government forces and armed opposition have been continuing in Syria for over two years. According to UN statistics, the total number of victims of the conflict in Syria is more than 100,000 people. The Syrian authorities say that they are opposed by well-armed militants.