ALEPPO (Zaman Alwasl)- The Islamic Front, key rebel group, in statement issued Thursday has demanded Muhammad Army, jihadist group, to withdraw from Azaz town due the deteriorating security situation in northern countryside of Aleppo.
Islamic Front’s Commander Abdul Aziz al-Salameh has urged fighters of Muhammad army, mostly foreign jihadists, to leave the town of Azaz as rebels expect fierce clashes with the Islamic State that seeks to control Azaz.
Meanwhile, IF and other rebel factions are massing troops to recapture villages and towns controlled by the Islamic State last week in northern countryside, rebel source says.
IS has made rapid advances against rebels in Aleppo’s countryside what set the alarm bells amid the fragmented factions.
Activists and West-backed opposition have urged rebels to unite to face the growing power of the Islamic State, warning an imminent fall for the northern countryside including border towns as Azaz and Bab al-Slameh border crossing.
The source highlighted to to Zaman Alwasl another war against IS lies in factions and ‘sleeper cells’ loyal to the Islamic State in rebel-held areas. Rebels have launched raids and many arrests reported.
The number of IS fighters has passed 50,000 in Syria, including 20,000 non-Syrians," the director of Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, Rami Abdel Rahman, told AFP.
"July saw the largest recruitment since the group appeared in Syria in 2013, with more than 6,000 new fighters," he said.
IS abuses and harsh brand of religion prompted a backlash from rebel groups that pushed it out of many opposition-held areas earlier this year.
Comments About This Article
Please fill the fields below.