Local sources reported that dozens of members of the Iranian-backed Local Defense Militia in the eastern countryside of Aleppo defected and joined the ranks of the Russian-backed militias.

"Ain al-Furat" website said: "35 members of the Local Defense Militia formed by the Iranian militias in the villages of the eastern countryside of Aleppo, defected with their weapons and joined "Qaterji" militia and the Russian-backed "Tahat" militia.

According to Al-Durar Al-Shamiya, the website stated that the Iranian militias promised the local defense members a salary of 200 dollars, but they broke their promise and gave them only 200,000 liras, and sent them from their villages to the desert region to comb it from ISIS cells, noting that this matter prompted the elements to defect.