A SENIOR Syrian Turkmen militia officer made a shock defection to his forces’ arch-enemy Turkey yesterday.

The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) said its spokesman Brigadier General Talal Silo had surrendered to Turkish-backed Free Syrian Army (FSA) factions near the town of Jarabulus, the Reuters news agency reported.

He was then escorted into Turkey from the FSA-occupied border town in northern Aleppo province, just north of Kurdish-held Manbij.