State Tv - Syria Prime Minister Riad Hijab Defects - Bbc News

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Syrian Prime Minister Riad Hijab possesses defected coming from President Bashar al-Assad's federal to join "the revolution", his / her spokesman says.

Mr Hijab had been appointed not as much as not one but two months ago along with his departure will be highest-profile defection since the uprising begun throughout March 2011.

State-run TV said he / she had been sacked.

Riad Hijab, that's said to own fled with his family, is a Sunni Muslim from the Deir al-Zour area of eastern Syria which continues to be swept up from the revolt.

Early studies said Mr Hijab had defected that will Jordan, but Jordanian state TV afterwards said this. By Monday afternoon, Mr Hijab's whereabouts have been still unknown.

'Freedom along with dignity'

Earlier, his / her spokesman Mohammed el-Etri informed al-Jazeera TV in which he / she was in "a harmless location".

"I address you right now at this grave hours where the country can be dwelling below your brunt with genocide and barbarian brutal hurting versus unarmed people today who will be just demanding independence and a dignified life," ran Mr Hijab's affirmation read simply by their spokesman.

"Today I declare. which I have defected through the terrorist, murderous program along with joining your holy revolution. And I lay claim that from nowadays I here's some sort of jewellry of your holy revolution."

Mr Etri later shared with the particular BBC the fact that Syrian regime was "now within its very last throes" which them had been recently treated "a fatal blow" by means of Mr Hijab's defection.

Continue looking through the key report Riad Farid Hijab

Born around 1966 around Deir al-Zour, northern Syria

Married with a number of children

Holds a PhD around agriculture

Joined a nearby branch on the Baath Party receive around 1998

Named governor regarding that northern province associated with Qunaytira with 2008

Transferred in order to scalp your Latakia governorate all around some time protests were earliest noted - paid in state mass media with reducing a great ending to some sit-in

Appointed minister of agriculture with 14 April 2011

Mr Hijab is a initial Syrian cabinet minister for you to defect.

The BBC's Jim Muir throughout neighbouring Lebanon pronounces the defection is often a amazing blow for you to President Assad and also a apparent hint on the stresses racking up while in the regime.

Unconfirmed studies suggested that two other display case ministers possessed additionally deserted and there are promises that the third, Finance Minister Mohammad Jalilati, had been recently imprisoned when endeavoring to flee.

But Syrian assert TV explained he ended up being continue to in his / her office functioning seeing that usual, also it transmit just what exactly the item explained ended up being your telephone interview with Mr Jalilati categorically denying stories in which he possessed already been detained.

Last month, Syria's ambassador to Iraq, Nawaf Fares, deserted on the opposition. Like the previous excellent minister, he / she was additionally through Deir al-Zour. Brig Gen Manaf Tlas, whom appeared to be regarded nearly President Assad, in addition defected in July.

Thirty other generals have entered your national boundaries towards Turkey thus far in addition to Turkish news organization Anatolia described on Monday that yet another standard experienced fled along with several high-ranking officers and much more in comparison with 30 soldiers.

The excellent minister's dismissal had been described by Syrian express TV, which gave absolutely no fast explanation.

Our correspondent mentioned they were perceived as a Baath bash loyalist exactly who has been fitted following May basic elections which were component to President Assad's reform process.

In the al-Jazeera statement, Mr el-Etri said Riad Hijab's defection ended up negotiated with the Free Syrian Army many weeks before.

His replacement, Omar Ghalawanji, will probably reportedly direct a caretaker government.

'Aleppo facing carnage'

Hours earlier, point out TV mentioned a bomb acquired long gone down for the third floor involving your Syrian state TV in addition to radio setting up around Damascus, wounding three people.

Footage displays within the blast-hit state TV building, as Jim Muir reports

A BBC Arabic reporter around the capital said the particular huge increase inside Umawiyeen Square around central Damascus have "ripped the actual floor" however had quit the transmission on the three Syrian routes unaffected.

Pro-government allows have regained control of spots of Damascus gripped by simply rebels within recently available weeks but the rebels are moving forward to hold out there within the second city, Aleppo.

Opposition activists reported endurance bombardment associated with elements of Aleppo about Monday because 20,000 troops encircle the northern city.

A spokeswoman with the exiled competitors Syrian National Council (SNC) told French stereo train station Europe1 that Aleppo was certainly facing "carnage", using a regime deploying their 100 % military might, including it is air force, versus without due consideration equipped rebels using guerrilla tactics.

Meanwhile, Iran possesses strongly dissmissed off that 48 Iranians seized by way of Syrian rebels for the saturday and sunday comprise associates of Iran's Revolutionary Guards.

Rebels placed a home-based video of the Iranians upon Sunday, declaring that they were being seized from your bus in Damascus in a given period before.

The rebels alleged many people have been on some sort of reconnaissance vision in this capital.

Tehran, the key fically regarding President Assad, says they were visiting your famous Shia pilgrimage web page in addition to has appealed to Turkey and also Qatar to help protected their release. A digital rebel commander mentioned their docs have been still getting checked.