DAMASCUS, SYRIA (3:35 P.M.) - Rebel groups who have been fighting under the banner of Hay'ay Tahrir al-Sham in Idlib province declared mass defection to join another rival jihadi group.
The six defected factions issued a joint statement pledging allegiance to al-Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahiri through its proxy group in Syria called Guardians of Religion Organization (Tanzim Hurras al-Din".
The groups are originally militants who were evacuated from Damascus, Homs and Daraa after being defeated by the Syrian Army.
Informed sources suggested that the discrimination and unfair treatment those evacuees received in Idlib have been the main causes behind their defection.
This comes as the Syrian Army amasses forces to launch a full-scale offensive against jihadi groups in Idlib and northern Hama.
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Posted from AMN with SteemPress : https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/more-rebel-groups-join-syrian-al-qaeda-under-zawahiri-leadership/
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