The Long War Journal:
Although there is no indication that a leadership dispute between the Al Nusrah Front and the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) has been settled, the two al Qaeda affiliates continue to fight alongside one another against their common enemies in Syria.
The argument between Al Nusrah emir Abu Mohammad al Julani and ISIL emir Abu Bakr al Baghdadi became public in April. But reporting since then shows that the two emirs’ fighters are still frequently allied despite their differences and reported rivalry.
Reports from the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) throughout September and into early October point to the al Qaeda affiliates’ ongoing collusion against Assad’s forces, Kurdish foes, and other mutual enemies. SOHR reporting also confirms that the two al Qaeda affiliates operate throughout Syria, including in provinces that are not controlled by rebel forces.
Assad’s forces launched an offensive outside of Khanaser town in the Aleppo province on Oct. 1. The town is situated along a key road needed to transport essential supplies. Assad’s fighters were reportedly met by jihadists from both the ISIL and the Al Nusrah Front.
The following day, Oct. 2, SOHR reported that the two al Qaeda affiliates were accompanied by fighters from “several rebel battalions,” including Ahrar al Sham, Jeish Mohammad, and Nour al Deen al Zanki. In August, videos of Ahrar al Sham fighters occupying Khanaser were posted online.
Ahrar al Sham is closely allied with the Al Nusrah Front. For example, the SOHR reported on Sept. 10 that the Al Nusrah Front and Ahrar al Sham bombarded Alawite-inhabited areas in the Homs province. Al Nusrah and its ally also fought together against regular Syrian forces in Homs, and have consistently fought side-by-side elsewhere.
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Read more:Â http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2013/10/al_qaedas_affiliates.php#ixzz2gbOcSEzM
