By: Agencies
Source: http://mwcnews.net/
Fighters from several Syrian rebel groups have seized the headquarters of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant in Aleppo, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says.
The UK-based watchdog said on Wednesday that ISIL had been using a disused hospital in the Qadi Askar area of the city, although it was unclear what had happened to the fighters who had been operating from there.
The development marks a setback for ISIL, which late on Tuesday had urged people to target those who opposed them.
In an audio clip, ISIL spokesman Abu Mohamed al Adnani al Sham said: “The Syrian National Coalition and the Free Syria Army military council declared war on ISIL.
“All their members are legitimate targets. We have placed rewards on their heads. Kill them wherever they are found.
“Know that we have armies in Iraq and Syria … we warn you. We will crush them and kill the conspiracy in its
cradle.”
Wednesday’s takeover is a victory for rebels battling al-Qaeda allies in Syria, but the movement to remove President Bashar al-Assad from power remains in disarray, with groups fighting each other for control of the north.
At least 300 people have been killed in the infighting in Syria during the past five days, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.