France said on Tuesday that Paris was helping opponents of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to defect.

French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius told parliament's foreign affairs committee that France has aided several defectors, including General Manaf Tlas.

"We have also - and I will not go into details - helped a certain number of defections,” Fabius said.
"It's our role. Our agencies are active," he added.

Fabius publicly confirmed for the first time that France had helped Tlas escape Syria and said he had met the general to discuss the country's future.
"Why? Because we think that when there is somebody senior who wants to fight against Bashar al-Assad and to leave Syria, we help them," he said.

French newspaper Le Figaro reported last week that Paris was working on as many as 12 defections.