Syria's rebel army pledges allegiance to Al Qaeda as new Islamist insurgence threatens dictator Assad

Syria's most powerful rebel group has formally pledged allegiance to al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahri, according to recording posted online today.

The al-Nusra group, the strongest extremist movement in Syria, issued a statement of support for the terror network.


Abu Mohammad al-Golani, leader of the Syrian group, said: 'The sons of Nusra Front renew their pledge (of allegiance) to the Sheikh of Jihad Ayman al-Zawahri and declare obedience.'

Al-Qaida's branch in Iraq and the most powerful rebel group in Syria have now officially joined ranks against President Bashar Assad to forge a potentially formidable militant force in the Middle East.



Rebel rise: Men said to be from al-Qaida affiliated Jabhat al-Nusra sit on a truck full of ammunition at Taftanaz air base, which has been captured by the rebels, in Idlib province, northern Syria





New Islamist front: Rebels said to be from Al Qaeda affiliated Jabhat al-Nusra waving their brigade flag on the top of a Syrian air force helicopter at insurgent-held Taftanaz air base in Idlib province, northern Syria

The merger of the Islamic State in Iraq and Jabhat al-Nusra forms a new entity that could be an even stronger opponent in the fight to topple Assad and become a dominant player in what eventually replaces his regime.


The new group, called the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant, underscores the growing confidence and muscle of Islamist radicals fighting on the rebel side in Syria's civil war. It also bolsters the Syrian government's assertions that the regime is battling terrorists and that the uprising is a foreign-backed plot.


While the U.S. and its European and Gulf allies are concerned about the rising prominence of Islamists among the rebels, the merger is unlikely to prompt a shift in the international support. Late last year, Washington declared that Jabhat al-Nusra had ties to al-Qaida and designated it a terrorist organization.




To try to counter the rising influence of Jabhat al-Nusra and other Islamic extremists in the civil war, the U.S. and its allies have boosted their support for rebel factions deemed to be more moderate.


On the political front, they helped created the opposition umbrella group, the Syrian National Coalition, in the hope that it will serve as the united face of those trying to unseat Assad and administer much of the territory in northern Syria that rebels have managed to pry away from regime forces in the past year.


The U.S. and other countries also have stepped up covert support for rebels on the ground by helping to coordinate shipments of new weapons and training rebels in Jordan, officials say. Those receiving training are mainly secular Sunni Muslim tribesmen from central and southern Syria who once served in the army and police.




Under attack: A member of the Free Syrian Army runs along with two men to take cover from snipers loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad, in Deir al-Zor yesterday





Attack on dictator: Fighter from Islamist Syrian rebel group Jabhat al-Nusra runs with weapon as their base is shelled in Raqqa province, eastern Syria

The force is seen as a counterbalance to the Islamic militant groups - chief among them Jabhat al-Nusra - that have proven to be among the most effective of the myriad rebel factions fighting Assad's forces, officials say.


The merger was announced by the leader of the Islamic State of Iraq, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, in a 21-minute audio message posted on militant websites late Monday. A website linked to Jabhat al-Nusra known as al-Muhajir al-Islami - the Islamic emigrant - confirmed the merger.


Together, the groups will now be known as the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant, al-Baghdadi said.

The Levant is the traditional name referring to the region from southern Turkey to Egypt on the eastern Mediterranean.


'It is time to announce to the Levantine people and the whole world that Jabhat al-Nusra is merely an extension and part of the Islamic State of Iraq,' he said.




Joint force: Members of Islamist Syrian rebel group Jabhat al-Nusra hold a detainee as they transport him in Raqqa province, eastern Syria in a picture taken on March 14

He said the Iraqi group was providing half of its budget to the conflict in Syria, and that Jabhat al-Nusra would not have a separate leader but instead be led by the 'people of Syria themselves' - implying that he would be in charge in both countries.


The announcement comes two days after the leader of al-Qaida, Ayman al-Zawahiri, urged Islamic fighters in Syria to unite in their efforts to oust Assad.


Jabhat al-Nusra, which has welcomed militants from across the Muslim world into its ranks, has made little secret of its links across the Iraqi border, but until now it has not officially declared itself to be part of al-Qaida.


The Syrian group, which wants to oust Assad and replace his regime with an Islamic state, first emerged in a video posted online in January 2012. Since then, it has demonstrated its prowess - and ruthlessness - on the battlefield.
It has claimed responsibility for many of the deadliest suicide bombings against Syrian government institutions and military facilities. The group's success helped fuel a surge in its popularity among rebel fighters, although it has also emerged as a source of friction with more moderate and secular brigades in Syria.