The
fighting between the al-Qaida-linked Islamic State of Iraq and the
Levant and several Islamist and more moderate rebel brigades has broken
out in cities, towns and villages of at least four opposition-held
provinces in the north. Since the violence started, it has largely
overshadowed the broader battle against the government.
The British-based
Syrian Observatory for Human Rights activist group said Sunday that at
least 697 people have been killed since the clashes began Jan. 3. The
toll includes 351 fighters from the Islamist and mainstream opposition
brigades, 246 from the “Islamic State,” and 100 civilians.
The
al-Qaida-linked group has alienated other rebel factions and civilians
in the territory under its control by using brutal tactics to implement
its strict interpretation of Islamic law. It has also kidnapped and
killed its opponents.
While the rebel infighting has grabbed
the spotlight over the past nine days, the fight against the government
has raged on across the country. In the central city of Homs, government
shelling killed more than 20 people Saturday in the rebel-held Waer
neighborhood, the Observatory said. It warned that the death toll could
rise because dozens of people were critically wounded in the
bombardment.
Another activist group, the Local Coordination
Committees, also reported the shelling in Waer. Syrian rebels also have
targeted Assad-loyal areas with indiscriminate mortar fire. On Sunday,
Syria’s state media said rebel-fired mortar shells killed two people in
the pro-government Zahra area of Homs.
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