Syria: Clashes Intensify among Terrorists at Borders with Turkey

Militants of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant terrorist group raided the positions of another militant group along the Syrian border with Turkey on Wednesday.
FNA reports from Northern Syria said Al-Qaeda’s ISIL terrorists pounded the positions of “The Northern Storm” – which operates under the rebel group, the Free Syrian Army (FSA) – and then staged a heavy attack on its positions at Syria’s Northeastern border with Turkey.

Clashes flared between the two rival groups almost two months ago, but the ISIL and the Northern Storm accepted a truce after the mediation of another militant group.

But, early Wednesday morning the ISIL pounded the positions of the Northern Storm with heavy artillery fire.

FNA dispatches said that clashes continue between the two rival groups in Reef (countryside) of Aleppo now.

Following the attack, the ISIL has now occupied several positions of the Northern Storm and killed dozens of its militants during the raid.

The Northern Storm has issued emergency calls for FSA-affiliated units, Al-Towhid and Mohammad Brigades, to send troops, weapons and backup forces to stop ISIL advance in Northeastern Syria.

The clashes that have recently intensified between the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant and the Free Syrian Army (FSA). On Sunday, clashes between the two sides reached the town of Afrin, a main obstacle that prevents ISIL from storming Aleppo.

Two weeks ago, the two sides staged a bloody battle in a militant-ruled area in Deir Ezzur province in Eastern Syria.

According to FNA dispatches, disputes which had started on September 22 resulted in armed clashes between the FSA members and ISIL in Al-Kournish street in al-Mayadeen city, al-Kasrah village and a part of Reef al-Boukamal in Deir Ezzur.

Reports in the early morning of September 23 said that fighting still raged on between the FSA and the ISIL militants.

Tens of militants were killed and dozens more were injured during the clashes.

In Similar clashes on September 21 and 22, tens of militants were killed and many more injured over the share of the militants from the goods looted from the people’s houses and shops in al-Sheikh Meskin city in Southern Syria.

After more than two years of fighting side-by-side and leading one of the bloodiest conflicts in the recent history of Middle-East, FSA and al-Qaeda affiliated groups have been making some moves against each other following reports of West’s alleged concerns over sending more arms to Syria and possibility of them falling into the hands of the terrorists.

Analysts say West’s pressures for opening a way to send arms to militants in Syria and not the terrorists is actually differentiating the anti-Syria armed groups to “good terrorists” and “bad terrorists”.

Militants in Syria have been committing numerous war crimes against people and Syrian army soldiers throughout the country during their bloody war.

In a report in September, sources said the number of antigovernment combat factions has reached 1750, including the FSA, “State of Iraq and the Levant”, and other groups working for different agendas.

However, the most prominent differences and disputes lie between the FSA and the “State of Iraq and the Levant”, where media sources reported that the latter killed Abu Obeida Al-Binshi, one of the FSA commanders recently.

“The assassination took place after the “State of Iraq and Levant” had taken a number of Malaysians, Syrians and Turks relief workers as hostages,” the sources said in September.

“Following the abduction, a number of the FSA brigades moved in an attempt to release prisoners, which led to clashes between the two opposition groups, and left Abu Obeida Al-Binshi killed,” they elaborated further.

Earlier, a media source in the FSA described the “State of Iraq and Levant” as the movement which turned into a cruel rebel group.

“This organization kills all dissidents without exception, chasing and assassinating them in the areas of Ghouta and Damascus western countryside,” the media source said.

Such incidents were being repeated in Syria during the recent period, signaling a growing tension between the militant groups active under the FSA and the so-called ‘Jihadi’ groups, mainly composed of non-Syrian militants.