Syrian rebel group Ahrar al-Sham on Tuesday came out with a statement supporting Turkey's plans to make a Daesh-free zone in northern Syria. And while this may not be a total surprise coming from the pro-Turkey group, it's still pretty significant.
Not all rebel groups are supportive of the 68-mile Daesh-free zone, which media outlets have reported as "ill-defined." Al-Nusra Front rejected it and said it would withdraw from the front lines against Daesh (ISIS) in the area, unwilling to support Turkey.
Ahrar al-Sham is a close ally of Nusra. The group has coordinated with the al-Qaeda affiliate on the battlefield for three years and was founded by al-Qaeda members.
But it's not the first time there have been tensions between the groups. Nusra members' fight in Idlib in July pitted the group directly against the Ahrar al-Sham Islamic Movement, a party that dominated Nusra's rival Sharia authority, al-Monitor reported.
The question now is whether Turkey's new plans could be a more serious division in rebel alliances, and how that may affect the opposition's fight against Daesh and regime fighters going forward.
Here's Ahrar al-Sham's full statement translated in English:
By Hayat Norimine
