The head of Syria's military police has defected from the army and declared allegiance to the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad.

"I am General Abdelaziz Jassim al-Shalal, head of the military police. I have defected because of the deviation of the army from its primary duty of protecting the country and its transformation into gangs of killing and destruction."

The defection comes as Syrian foreign ministry officials head to Moscow to discuss proposals made by international envoy Lakhdar Brahimi for ending the Syrian crisis.