Det muslimske brorskap i Syria erkjenner for første gang at det har opprettet egne avdelinger som kjemper mot Assad. De sier avdelingene er under paraplyen til Den frie syriske hær, men at de er selvstendig.

The Muslim Brotherhood in Syria has formed three armed battalions “for self defense and to defend the oppressed,” the group’s spokesman said Sunday.

Mulham Al-Droubi told Saudi owned daily A-Sharq Al-Awsat that the battalions were created three months ago and are deployed across Syria, but “especially in areas with intense fighting.” He said they operated under the umbrella of the Free Syrian Army, which functions as a regular army but is comprised of semi-independent units.

This was the first public acknowledgment of the Syrian Muslim Brotherhood taking part in fighting on the ground. The precise number of combatants in the battalion is unknown.

The reports bolster expert opinions that the opposition forces include significant Islamist elements.

Droubi refused to tell the daily who was arming the forces, but noted that Syrians were capable of defending themselves and that no foreign fighters had entered the country.

Syrian Muslim Brotherhood forms fighting battalions, movement spokesman acknowledges