Syrian rebels must now fend off ISIS insurgents who have claimed a large part of the country, after struggling against the Assad regime for over 3 years.
After taking over a myriad of cities in Iraq, ISIS has expanded its ventures to Syria. All the cities between Deir Ezzor and the Iraqi border (a 150 km stretch) have fallen and are under ISIS’s control. Under the enigmatic leader Abu Bakr Al Baghdadi, ISIS declared a caliphate covering all the areas it has captured ranging from eastern Syria to northern Iraq, calling it The Islamic State.
ISIS’s control on both sides of the border has effectively given gateway to fighters and weaponry to be exchanged between the two countries.
In a video released by ISIS last week, Baghdadi delivered a sermon pronouncing himself as the Caliph and demanding obedience from Muslims around the world.
ISIS is fronting an assemblage of insurgents of which armed groups took over a former chemical weapons facility north of Baghdad last month. It was made public in a letter released to U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon by ambassador Mohamed Ali Alhakim. The insurgents have also claimed responsibilities of the suicide bombings in Baghdad killing 12 people.
Shi’ite Muslims from all over Iraq are volunteering to fight against the insurgents. Volunteers include women who are being trained by a militia group called the Badr Brigade. More than 450 women have been trained to use assault rifles like AK47s’ and a large amount are lining up. — Compiled from internet and agency sources by Mohammad Rassawala
Above photo of an Iraqi army tank taken from DVIDSHUB’s Flickr Photostream
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