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Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

Iran Press TV

SNC names new chief of military wing

Iran Press TV

Sat Mar 8, 2014 10:40AM GMT

The foreign-backed Syrian National Coalition (SNC) has officially named Brigadier General Abdullah al-Bashir as the head of its military wing.

In a statement issued on Saturday, the SNC military council confirmed that Bashir was their new chief, replacing General Salim Idris, who has refused to step down.

The announcement of the plan for the appointment was made on February 17. Bashir is a militant commander in southern Syria.

Idris, along with more than a dozen senior militant commanders, has severed ties with the SNC, widening divisions among the foreign-sponsored opposition.

The military wing of the opposition said it has sacked its chief of staff due to difficulties in the operations against the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

The anti-Syria military coalition was established in 2011.

Syria has been gripped by deadly violence since 2011. Some sources say around 130,000 people have been killed and millions displaced due to the violence fueled by Western-backed militants.

According to reports, the Western powers and their regional allies -- especially Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Turkey -- are supporting the militants operating inside Syria.

DB/HSN



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