|
Trending Topics
|
Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/may/08/free-syrian-army-rebels-defect-islamist-group
Free Syrian Army Rebels Defect to Islamist Group Jabhat al-Nusra
(Guardian-UK) Mona Mahmood and Ian Black - Syria's main armed opposition group, the Free Syrian Army (FSA), is losing fighters and capabilities to Jabhat al-Nusra, an Islamist group with links to al-Qaeda that is emerging as the best-equipped, financed and motivated force fighting Bashar al-Assad's regime - underlining the dilemma of arming anti-Assad rebels. FSA commanders say that entire units have gone over to al-Nusra, while others have lost a quarter or more of their strength to them recently. Ala'a al-Basha, commander of the Sayyida Aisha brigade, said 3,000 FSA men have joined al-Nusra in the last few months, mainly because of a lack of weapons and ammunition in the FSA. "Fighters are heading to al-Nusra because of its Islamic doctrine, sincerity, good funding and advanced weapons," said Abu Islam of the FSA's al-Tawhid brigade in Aleppo.