ARA News

Aleppo, Syria – On Wednesday, the leadership of al-Nusra Front called on Syrian rebel factions in Damascus unify under one military entity similar to al-Fatih Army in Idlib and Qalamoun.

The Nusra Front issued a statement, of which ARA News received a copy, saying: “Obedience to the command of God to unite and avoid rifts among jihadists and to alleviate the suffering of vulnerable men, women and children of Syria, al-Nusra Front calls on all rebel factions who operate on ground in the eastern Ghouta of Damascus to form al-Fatih Army in Ghouta similar to the extended rebel umbrella in Idlib and Qalamoun.”

Speaking to ARA News, Anas al-Rawas, a media activist in the eastern Ghouta, reported that rebel faction in Damascus may form such a united army to combat pro-Assad forces, “especially after such a unification helped the rebels to achieve victories in Idlib.” 

“The situation in Ghouta is completely different because rebels are subjected to attacks by the extremists of the Islamic State (IS/ISIS) and the Syrian regime’s army simultaneously,” he argued.

“A united military entity in the eastern Ghouta has become an urgent necessity for rebels who realized the devastating consequences of rifts in their ranks. The time is convenient now especially with the regime’s gradual decline in Damascus,” al-Rawas told ARA News.

The Nusra Front (Syria’s branch of Qaeda) is leading a united militant factions in Idlib province and the Qalamoun Hights under the banner of al-Fatih Army ــwhich has recently made a significant progress at the expense of pro-regime forces, especially in Idlib.

Reporting by: Sarbaz Yousef

Source: ARA News