The Islamic State of Iraq and Al-Sham (ISIS) and the Syrian Al-Qaeda organization “Jabhat Al-Nusra” are at odds with one another once again; this time, it is on a much larger scale than the previous skirmishes, as the militants from ISIS have captured a large amount of territory from the Al-Qaeda group and their affiliates in the northern part of the Aleppo Governorate.
ISIS’ recent capture of Sawran in northeast Aleppo has paved the way for their large-scale offensive into the strategic border-cities of Mar’e and ‘Azaz; this is an area that the militants of Jabhat Al-Nusra, Jabhat Al-Shamiyah (Levantine Front), and the Free Syrian Army (FSA) use to resupply and reinforce their entrenched fighters in the province of Aleppo.
On Thursday, ISIS opened a new front in the Aleppo Governorate after capturing a number villages on the road to the Aleppo Infantry School in the northern countryside; if the terrorist group can capture the remaining territory to the north of the Infantry School, they will have effectively cleared the area of all combatants from Liwaa Al-Tawheed and Jabhat Al-Nusra that are entrenched at this large facility.
According to social media activists from the Syrian Opposition, Jabhat Al-Shamiyah and their allies have countered the militants from ISIS at the city of Sawran; however, they have yet to recapture this area after almost 48 hours of constant firefights.
