A double bomb attack in
Aleppo carried out by al-Qaeda-affiliated group, the Islamic State of Iraq and
Syria (ISIS), claimed the lives of at least 16 Syrian rebel fighters on Sunday,
an NGO said.
An ISIS fighter blew
himself up at the headquarters of an Islamist rebel brigade in the Aleppo town,
while a car bomb detonated outside at the same time, the Observatory said.
The bomber
had reportedly offered to negotiate with the rebels in the name of ISIS, but
detonated an explosive belt inside the headquarters.
The attack,
which took place in the town of al-Ra'ei, not far from the Syrian border with
Turkey, also injured another 20 rebel fighters, the Syrian Observatory for
Human Rights said.
The
Observatory said the bombings came as fighters gathered at the headquarters to
discuss the possibility of a truce in the fighting with ISIS that has raged
throughout rebel-controlled areas
According to
Agence France-Presse, the rebels were Islamist brigades that have joined
moderate rebels in fighting the jihadist ISIS since the beginning of a backlash
in early January.
The
rebel-jihadist clashes have killed around 1,400 people since they began,
although the Observatory says the real toll is likely much higher because both
sides are secretive about their losses.
Meanwhile,
the ISIS has formed two female battalions in Syria’s northern city of Raqqah,
pan-Arab newspaper Asharq al-Awsat reported on Sunday.
The
battalions were reportedly launched as part of ISIS’ efforts to “expose male
activists who disguise in women’s clothing to avoid detention when stopping at
the ISIS checkpoints.” with Agencies
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