Six Syrian Islamist factions unite in bid to oust Assad

Johannesburg: Six Islamist rebel factions in Syria have united and declared a new Islamic Front with an aim to oust President Bashar al-Assad and establish an Islamic state. The main groups that joined the front are Ahrar al-Sham, Suqour al-Sham, Tawhid Brigade and Islamic Army, forming the largest alliance of rebel fighters yet in the two-and-a-half year conflict, News24 reports. Earlier, Syria`s rebel forces have tried many times to unify their fractions, but failed. According to the report, this merger also undermines the secular Free Syrian Army (FSA) leadership, which was once seen as a symbolic umbrella leadership for all the rebels. It could also challenge the dominance of al Qaeda-linked factions, who have grown increasingly powerful as other rebel groups have weakened, the report added.