Reports: Head of Syria Embassy in Cyprus Defects

The head of the Syrian embassy in Cyprus, Lamia al-Hariri, has defected to Qatar, pan-Arab satellite television networks reported on Tuesday.

Al-Jazeera television said in a brief report that Hariri, the charge d'affaires, had "announced her defection in Cyprus," while Al-Arabiya said she had arrived in the Gulf state of Qatar.

If confirmed, Hariri's defection would be the second of its kind following that of Nawaf Fares, who left for Qatar this month after publicly renouncing his post as ambassador in Iraq and joining the rebellion.