Signs of Fierce War between ISIL, “Islamic Front” in Syria

Signs of a fierce war between the so-called “Islamic Front” and the “Islamic State in Iraq and Levant” have started in the areas in northern Syria, which are controlled by the extremist militants fighting the Syrian government, a report said.

The “Syrian National Coalition”, which is the main umSyria extremistsbrella for the foreign-backed armed opposition, has paved the way for this war as it considered the ISIL a terrorist organization, according to pan-Arab daily, al-Hayat.

“The first confrontation between the ISIL and the “Islamic Front”, which groups the prominent armed opposition brigades, took place in Aleppo last month. The clashes killed 12 militants, including 7 of “Ahrar al-Sham”, which is a main group within the Islamic Front.”

The daily said that during the battle, “Ahrar al-Sham” controlled Bab al-Hawa crossing on the border with Syria, but then the ISIL militants stormed it.

Al-Hayat quoted Syrian opposition sources as saying that “Ahrar al-Sham” has received the corpse of its commander Hussein Suleiman, who is known as “Abu Rayan”, during a swap deal which included 20 militants of this group and seven others of ISIL, in northern Aleppo.

The sources noted that signs of torture were found on the corpse of “Abu Rayan”, who is the head of Tal Abyad crossing between Syrian and Turkey, adding that ISIL militants have also tortured several gunmen of other armed groups which belong to the Islamic front.

According to the daily, this operation has drawn division among the Syrian opposition, the daily reported. As the Syrian National Council, which also groups the Muslim Brotherhood, was reticent regarding the incident, the Syrian Coalition denounced the “criminal and coward” act of ISIL militants.

The Arabic newspaper said that the coalition condemned torturing of “Abu Rayan”, calling on ISIL militants to withdraw the terrorist organization. The opposition body also pledged to “pursue and punish” the leaders of this “terrorist organizations, along with the regime’s criminal figures,” the daily added.