35 Killed as al-Qaeda Overruns US-Backed Syrian Rebel Bases

Just days after al-Qaeda’s Jabhat al-Nusra faction declared war on the US-armed Syrian rebel faction the Hazm Movement, they began overrunning multiple Hazm bases near Aleppo.

Six Nusra fighters and 29 Hazm fighters were killed in the clashes over the course of the day, and the losses included a major former military compound Hazm has held since late 2012.

The Hazm Movement was the faction that became the first to publicly confirm receiving anti-tank missiles from the CIA, and has been closely affiliated to some Islamist groups, in addition to the secular FSA.

Nusra has been targeting US allies in recent months in retaliation after the US began targeting them with airstrikes in their own war against ISIS. Nusra and ISIS had been at each others’ throats, but both being US targets the recent indications are that they are at the very least avoiding fighting one another now.