Saudi Arabian media outlet Al-Arabiya reported on Saturday that Syrian Vice President Farouk al-Sharaa had defected to the opposition and fled to Jordan. The report, based on information given by senior members of the Syrian opposition, stated that al-Sharaa, a Sunni and one of the most powerful figures in the country, had escaped Damascus and was in hiding. Officials in Damascus denied the defection reports and said that al-Sharaa was still in the capital and working from his office. Al-Sharaa "did not think, at any moment, of leaving the country. Ever since the crisis broke out in Syria he has been working with all sides to bring an end to the bloodshed, so that political efforts could be made including dialogue to bring about national reconciliation," the statement said. Syrian Foreign Ministry spokesman Jihad Makdisi called the claims "malicious rumors, part of certain media outlets campaign of lies." Following the Syrian government's vehement denial of the defection claims, a representative from the Free Syrian Army stated that the extraction of the vice president may have failed. "We neither confirm nor deny that he [al-Sharaa] defected," an official said, noting that "extracting al-Sharaa from Syria is a very complex operation." Meanwhile, the Syrian opposition reported that at least 200 people had been killed in fighting over the weekend, largely from the government's increased use of air power to subdue the rebels. Arab media outlets reported that the Syrian rebels had resurfaced in Damascus and Aleppo, after reportedly being routed by the Syrian military.
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Mystery surrounds reports of Syrian vice president defection
Free Syrian Army official says he cannot confirm or deny reports that Syrian Vice President Farouk al-Sharaa defected, noting that "extracting al-Sharaa from Syria is a very complex operation" • Syrian opposition: 200 killed in fighting over the weekend.