Syrian Rebel Groups Are Now Battling Amongst Themselves

A Free Syrian Army fighter takes a shooting position in Sheikh Khodr area in Aleppo on September 15. (Nour Kelze/Reuters)

Al Qaeda Clash With Free Syrian Army a New Stage of Opposition Split -- Eli Lake, Daily Beast

While the U.S. and Russia pursue a diplomatic route in Syria, a battle between the country’s moderate and extremist rebels erupted in eastern Syria. Eli Lake talks with a commander of the pro-Western opposition about a new front in the civil war.

The same day the United States and Russia announced a plan to disarm Bashar al-Assad of his chemical weapons, a fresh round of fighting erupted along the Syria-Iraq border. This time, it was rebel versus rebel—specifically, al Qaeda–linked rebels against the more moderate elements of the opposition.

Mahmoud al-Aboud, commander of the eastern front for the Free Syrian Army, told The Daily Beast on Sunday in a Skype interview that the fighting began Saturday with a car bomb. Killed in the attack, said Aboud, was the brother of Saddam al-Gamal, a local commander of Allahu Akbar Brigades, a group aligned with the FSA in al-Bukamal. After the bombing, Gamal’s men launched a counterattack with small arms fire that killed four fighters in the opposing rebel group.

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Update: Syria’s Rebels Turn on One Another, and That’s Not a Bad Thing -- Aryn Baker, Time

My Comment: The leaders of Al Qaeda have been very clear in telling their fighters in Syria to not align themselves with the more moderate rebel groups in the country. These differences are now translating themselves into battles between the rebel groups.