Despite the great efforts of their joint leadership, tensions between the two branches of Al-Qaeda in Syria are growing more and more, the Lebanese newspaper "Al-Akhbar" points out that an "internal war" has already begun. On one side we have the organization Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), led by Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, while on the other side is the Al-Nusra Front, headed by Abu Mohammed al-Golani.
Baghdadi (also known as Abu Dua) has been the leader of al-Qaeda in Iraq since 2010 and has been one of al-Qaeda's most wanted members ever since. The US is offering $10 million for information leading to his capture, dead or alive, with more being offered only for Al Qaeda's top man, Ayman al-Zawahiri ($25 million).
Abu Mohamed al-Golani is the leader of Al-Nusra Front. Little is known about him. The name under which he presents himself suggests that he comes from the Golan Heights. It is not known what his nationality is. He has expressed his loyalty to Zawahiri, but it is still unknown whether Al-Nusra Front will unite with Al-Qaeda in Iraq, ie. to the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). One faction of the Al-Nusra Front decided to go that route and now they call themselves ISIL (Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant).
Conflicts within this terrorist network began when Baghdadi announced the formation of a single organization that would encompass Iraq and Syria, of course, under his leadership. On the other hand, Golani, who was sent to Syria precisely by ISIS after conflicts broke out in the country, refuses to accept Baghdadi's plan and points out that Baghdadi did not consult with the leadership of Al-Qaeda at all. Golani states that this is "a bad move at the wrong time".
Soon, the head of Al-Qaeda, Ayman al-Zawahiri, who took over the leadership after the elimination of Osama Bin Laden, spoke about this internal conflict. His message was broadcast on June 9 by the Qatari television Al-Jazeera. In that message, Zawahiri orders the groups to postpone the issue of integration until further notice, calls out both leaders for the mistakes that led to the internal conflict.
The latest videos of the attack on the Minakh military airbase north of Aleppo show the use of suicide bombers in the attack. ISIS claimed responsibility for these attacks. As the Lebanese newspaper "Al-Akhbar" reports, this move suggests that Baghdadi has decided to ignore Zawahiri's orders and continue with the plan to create a single jihadist organization on the territory of Iraq and Syria.
Despite the tensions, there have still been no armed clashes between ISIS and Al-Nusra Front. The two organizations often fight together against the Syrian army and actually dominate the "opposition" side, while the FSA (Free Syrian Army) has been in the background for some time when it comes to warfare. ISIS is said to dominate in the north of the country, while Al-Nusra Front is far more powerful in the south of Syria.
However, jihadist sources suggest that the struggle for supremacy between the two organizations has already begun. A number of sheikhs and Islamist brigades openly expressed their loyalty to Baghdadi. This then led to certain groups (a smaller number) declaring their loyalty to Golani.
The same sources point out that due to this situation, Zawahiri intervened again, this time sending a letter to Golani asking him to dissolve his organization, Al-Nusra Front, and to merge with Baghdadi's ISIS, but this has not happened yet.
The spokesman of ISIS, Abu Muhammad al-'Adnani, was even more direct than Baghdadi and pointed out that Al-Nusra Front are "rebellious deserters". Those familiar with the situation point out that ISIS is trying to eliminate and absorb all competition on the ground. The conflict between al-Qaeda affiliates in Syria has not yet escalated to the point of open armed conflict, but it could soon.
According to the latest information, ISIS is achieving a greater effect on the ground - they are the ones who managed to expel the Syrian army from the Minakh base north of Aleppo, these days they are wreaking havoc in the settlements around Latakia, Assad's hometown in the south of Syria.
One thing is certain - the main fighting force on the side of the opposition today are the branches of Al-Qaeda and numerous jihadist groups that are directly loyal to them. Whether Al-Nusra Front will eventually be "sucked up" by ISIS into its ranks is not overly significant for the Syrian conflict. What is significant is the fact that the Syrian army has been waging war against representatives of international terrorism for a long time and that the Western powers, the USA and the EU, with their political, financial, armed and any other support, are directly helping those organizations that they have said for years are the biggest threat to the world peace and security.
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