Five insurgent groups in Syria including Al-Qaeda rebranded outfit have announced the formation of a ‘new terror outfit’ aimed at fighting Bashar al Assad’s regime.
The five organizations reportedly have merged. They include Jabhat Fath al Sham (formerly known as Al-Nusrah Front), Harakat Nur Al Din Al Zanki, Liwa Al Haqq, Ansar Al Din and Jaysh Al Sunnah.
In a statement released online through pro-Al Qaeda media channels, they said outfits merged to form one terror outfit Hay’at Tahrir al Sham, or the “Assembly for Liberation of the Levant.
Hay’at Tahrir al Sham is led by a jihadi known as Abu Jaber (also known as Hashem al Sheikh), the former head of Ahrar al Sham, which continues to operate under its own name in Syria.
Various terror outfits had tried to unite behind Abu Jaber’s leadership in Aleppo early last year, but never succeeded.
Still, the unity initiative in Aleppo indicates that the terror operatives have been pushing for Abu Jaber to serve as a possible front man for some time.
Some military reports have identified Abu Jaber as a former member of Al-Qaeda terror network in Iraq.
