A senior military officer in the Syrian city of Hama has defected along with up to 50 of his soldiers, in protest of the government's ten-month crackdown on peaceful protests that has claimed thousands of lives across the country.<br /><br />Colonel Afeef Mahmoud Suleiman announced his defection live on Al Jazeera's Arabic news channel on Saturday.<br /><br />Suleiman is from the Syrian air force logistics division. He said he and his men had taken on a new mission to keep protesters in Hama safe during demonstrations.
