Hundreds of men who took up arms against President Bashar al-Assad are defecting
back to the government side, The Telegraph has learnt.
Disillusioned by the Islamist twist that the "revolution" in Syria has taken, exhausted after
more than two years of conflict and feeling that they are losing, growing
numbers of rebels are signing up to a negotiated amnesty offered by the Assad
regime.
At the same time, the families of retreating fighters have begun quietly
moving back to government-controlled territory, seen as a safer place to live as
the regime continues its intense military push against rebel-held areas.
The move is a sign of the growing confidence of the regime, which has
established a so-called "ministry of reconciliation" with the task of easing the
way for former opponents to return to the government side.
Ali Haider, the minister in charge, said: "Our message is, 'if you really
want to defend the Syrian people, put down your weapons and come and defend
Syria in the right way, through dialogue'."