ISIS News: More Members of Terrorist Group Defect, Realize They Were Tricked
More and more ISIS members are defecting from the terrorist group, with many planning to cross the Turkish border before heading back to the Middle East, North Africa, and Europe.
According to a report by The Guardian, a good number of ISIS members have already crossed the heavily guarded entry points to towns and cities in Turkey's southern part from the past weeks, including four Saudi Arabian members who arrived in the Southern Turkish community earlier this month.
Despite the entry points being heavily guarded, the said former ISIS members were able to enter after paying smugglers $2,000 each so that they can get through border guards that have already killed a good number of infiltrators this year.
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A former Saudi national and member of the terrorist group who left Syria in August has revealed to The Guardian that roughly 300 members of ISIS, mostly his fellow Saudi nationals, had established a community north of Idlib City in Syria, which is now controlled by Jabhat al-Nusra, an affiliate of Al-Qaeda.
"Most want to leave, like me. A lot of them realize that the group they were with tricked them. Others don't trust Nusra. There are not many who believe that the people that they were with were on the right path," said the 26-year-old Saudi national, who identified himself as Abu Saad, to The Guardian.
The exodus of former ISIS members to other areas it formerly controlled is a result of the terrorist group losing its territories brought about by the concerted efforts of the Iraqi troops, those that allied with the Syrian government, and the US-led air strikes in both Syria and Iraq.
In June, it was also reported that roughly 150 ISIS members from six Western countries have sought help to go back home. While the exact numbers were not known, it was revealed that several hundred former ISIS members have returned to Europe.
