Al Qaeda splinter group withdraws from oil-rich Deir al-Zour

Activists and rebels said an al Qaeda splinter group had withdrawn its forces from Syria's oil-rich eastern province of Deir al-Zour on Monday after days of heavy fighting with its rivals, Reuters said.

Islamist opposition groups joined forces with some secular rebel units to fight the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), with whom they have territorial disputes and ideological differences.

Zaman Alwasl reporter said that ISIS has executed 4 civilians before its withdrawal, including the well-known Judge Zuheir Tuweir.

Footage has circulated on the internet showed corpses the judge and other civilians shot dead in the head. Activists assured that Al Qaeda splinter was planning to execute all detainees but the fierce clashes prevented that.

ISIS, which has attracted many foreign Islamist militants into its ranks, is a small but powerful fighting force in Syria's opposition areas. It has alienated many civilians and opposition activists, however, by imposing harsh rulings against dissent in areas it controls, such as beheadings.

Al-Qaeda affiliatedAl-Nusra Front and other Islamist rebel allies have reclaimed control of factories and grain mills in Dier al-Zour, activists said.

While ISIS was once welcomed by rebels battling Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, excessive abuses by the group turned much of the opposition against them.

Yesterday, at least 20 people have been killed and dozens have been wounded Sunday morning due to a car explosion near an oil selling site in Bsaira city, north Deir al-Zour.

 Activists have accused the ISIS of carrying out the bombing in response to the ongoing fighting with Islamist rebels and  al-Nusra Front.

More than 1,800 people, mostly fighters, died in January fighting between rebels and ISIS, since three massive rebel alliances declared war against ISIS month ago.