Fighting broke out between Syrian rebels and ISIS factions in northern Syria on Friday, as protestors took to the streets to shout slogans against both Syrian President Bashar Assad and ISIS, and calling for ISIS to leave Syria.
Anti-ISIS protest in al-Achrafieh, Aleppo today, everyone in Guy Fawkes masks
Nader
@DarthNader
Anti-ISIS protest in al-Achrafieh, Aleppo today, everyone in Guy Fawkes masks
"The protests today are the result of tensions that have been building in northern Syria for several months now, mostly relating to ISIS' treatment of civilians and localized rebel units and individuals," Charles Lister of the Brookings Doha center told BuzzFeed in an email.
Speaking from Aleppo, Syrian media activist Murad Alshawakh told BuzzFeed that the fighting erupted because many Syrians were angry over ISIS aggressions and wanted them out of the country.
The Assad regime has been battling rebels groups in northern Syria since the opposition gained control in 2012. In recent weeks, the government has unleashed a barrage of bombings that have killed hundreds, according to the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
Anti-Assad groups have also faced competition among themselves. The well-armed and funded ISIS, which originated as an Al-Qaeda affiliate out of Iraq, has gained considerable ground in recent months. ISIS has raised the ire of civilians and Syrian rebels for imposing a harsh form of Sharia Islamic law in areas under its control, including death by stoning for slight transgressions.
According to news reports, ISIS' recent alleged killing of a senior commander of the large Islamist rebel group Ahrar al-Sham, Hussein al-Suleiman (also called Abu Rayyan), in part ignited Friday's anger. A graphic photo of Abu Rayyan's disfigured and allegedly tortured body was shared widely on social media this week. Protestors named the Friday protests after Abu Rayyan.
Friday's fighting in Atareb, Aleppo, involved a new anti-ISIS and anti-Assad rebel coalition called Jaish al-Mujahideen, formed Thursday night, according to activists. There were also reports of fighting between ISIS and other rebel groups, including localized Free Syrian Army (FSA) units and Liwa al-Tawhid, another rebel group associated with the FSA.
A civil war within the civil war is looming over northern #Syria. ISIS on one side, other revolutionary & Islamic battalions on the other.
Iyad El-Baghdadi
@iyad_elbaghdadi
A civil war within the civil war is looming over northern #Syria. ISIS on one side, other revolutionary & Islamic battalions on the other.
Videos of FSA supporters protesting against ISIS and Assad were posted to social media sites.
View this video on YouTube
A video appeared to show Syrian rebels detaining an ISIS fighter during fighting in Atareb.
View this video on YouTube
ISIS forces reportedly opened fire on protestors at an anti-ISIS demonstration in Kafr Makharim, Idlib, according to the SOHR.
View this video on YouTube
The Islamic Front (IF), the most powerful Syrian rebel organization, also released a statement demanding that ISIS withdraw from Al-Atareb, Aleppo.
Islamic Front releases statement on recent clashes involving ISIS & rebel groups in #Aleppo: https://t.co/eJFRleGWK5
Charles Lister
@Charles_Lister
Islamic Front releases statement on recent clashes involving ISIS & rebel groups in #Aleppo: https://t.co/eJFRleGWK5
Friday protests were an integral part of the Syrian uprising's first few months. The ensuing government repression and the growth of rebel groups shifted the power away from nonviolent mobilization.
Haven't been this excited about a protest in ages: https://t.co/yQVN13vOkH. #Aleppo chants against ISIS & Assad. #Syria
Amal Hanano
@AmalHanano
Haven't been this excited about a protest in ages: https://t.co/yQVN13vOkH. #Aleppo chants against ISIS & Assad. #Syria
Buoyant reactions within sections of the #Syria activist community regarding the outbreak of "war" with "da3ish" (ISIS) in #Aleppo & #Idlib.
Charles Lister
@Charles_Lister
Buoyant reactions within sections of the #Syria activist community regarding the outbreak of "war" with "da3ish" (ISIS) in #Aleppo & #Idlib.
By nightfall, there were reports of continued fighting in rebel-controlled areas around Aleppo and Idlib. There were also unverified reports that some ISIS forces had surrendered, and that ISIS and Jaish al-Mujahideen had reached a temporary ceasefire. From the day's fighting, dozens were reported dead, including two Syrian freelance journalists, and hundreds injured, according to activists.