Nusra Front frees 27 Islamic State fighters in Qalamoun

Al-Qaeda's Syria wing, the Nusra Front, said on Thursday it had released 27 Islamic State fighters who were arrested week ago with 23 others in the mountainous region of Qalamoun near the Lebanese border.

Nusra's Shariah court said the freed fighters 'had not involved in killing acts against Muslims.'

Ten days ago, Army of Fatah in Qalamoun, including Nusra Front, had declared war on the Islamic Sate, saying the abuses of the ultra- hardline group can not be tolerated.

The newly formed group of number of Islamist factions that has been engaged in fierce fighting with Iran proxy Hezbollah on the Lebanese border since May 4, said fighting ISIS has become inevitable.

In what they called (Communique 1) Fatah Army said ISIS fighters have been killing and kidnapping rebels for over two years in Qalamoun as well as they are using the same ways Bashar al-Assad's regime use.

Activists said declaring war on ISIS in Qalamoun may weaken the Islamist rebels including al-Qaeda local branch, the Nusra Front, in a decisive battle that may change alot in the map of Syrian conflict.

Meanwhile, ISIS controls more than half of Syria's territory after its westwards advance into the central city of Palmyra, an activist group monitoring the war said Thursday.

The militant group, which already controlled wide tracts of land in Syria's north and east, captured the ancient city late on Wednesday, the first time it has seized a large population centre directly from Syrian pro-government forces, Reuters reported.

The areas it holds are mostly sparsely inhabited. Syria's main cities, including the capital Damascus, are located on its western flank along the border with Lebanon and the coastline and have been the priority for the Syrian military.