A Syrian foreign ministry spokesman, the most public face of Bashar al-Assad’s government, has defected and fled the country, a diplomat in the region said yesterday.

Jihad al-Makdissi, who is in his 40s, previously worked at the Syrian embassy in London and returned to Damascus a year ago to serve as spokesman for the ministry, defending the Government’s crackdown on the revolt against the Syrian President’s rule.

He had little influence in a system largely run by the secur-ity apparatus and the military. But Assad’s opponents will see the loss of such a high-profile figure, if confirmed, as further evidence of a system crumbling from within.

Rebel forces have made advances in recent weeks, seizing several military bases including some outside the Syrian capital Damascus.

“He is out of Syria,” the diplomat said.