Six of Syria’s largest Islamist rebel factions form a new alliance in the fight against President Bashar al-Assad’s regime, as bombardment continues in Damascus.
The groups is a mix of hardline and more moderate rebel groups, though there is no presence for the most extreme, al-Qaeda affiliated end of the spectrum, notoriously represented by the al-Nusra brigade.
This independent political, military and social formation aims to topple the Assad regime completely and build an Islamic state where the sovereignty of God almighty alone will be our reference and ruler. Ahmed Eissa
One of the groups is Ahrar al-Sham, a hardline group that has fought alongside al-Nusra, but has always distanced itself from the influences of al-Qaeda. It also includes the slightly more moderate Islamist groups such as al-Islam Brigade, al-Tawhid and Suqour al-Sham.
Analysis of the groups by Channel 4 News earlier this year suggests that these groups would have combined numbers of around 40,000 – though this figure is likely to have changed in the course of the year.
Rebel groups have been struggling to unite in the war against the Syrian government. Though groups have fought alongside each other, the relationship between different groups has been fractious – and has on occasion led to violent confrontation between different rebel groups.
In September 13 Islamist rebel groups, including al-Nusrah, announced an alliance and rejected the Syrian National Coalition and the western “intervention” associated with it.
In the latest alliance announcement, Ahmed Eissa, head of Suqour al-Sham, said: “This independent political, military and social formation aims to topple the Assad regime completely and build an Islamic state where the sovereignty of God almighty alone will be our reference and ruler.”
Two and a half years into the war, it currently appears as if the government has the upper hand in the bloody war, as Channel 4 News reported on Thursday night.
Suburbs in Damascus have remained under siege from government airstrikes, especially in the east of the city where a chemical attacks in August killed hundreds including women and children.
On Thursday, footage posted by rebel groups purported to show airstrikes hitting Daraya, another rebel stronghold in the south of the city, and Barzeh, in the east of the city.
The airstrikes follow a claimed rebel victory on the weekend. Around 150 government soldiers were reported to have been killed when rebels blew up a government headquarters for military vehicles.
Islamist group Liwa Dera al-Asima, meaning Shield of the Capital Brigade, has claimed responsibility for the attack. Al-Jazeera reported that the group had used hand tools to dig for six months under the building, before setting explosives.
The war has claimed an estimated 120,000 lives. International efforts are targeted towards the Geneva 2 peace talks. On Friday Russian President Vladimir Putin, a powerful buttress to the Assad regime, called for western powers to convince the Syrian opposition to take part in those talks “as soon as possible.”