New Battles Rage Near Aleppo Between Syrian Insurgents and ISIS

NY Times ^ | JUNE 2, 2015 | ANNE BARNARD

[McGruff]

Syrian insurgents rushed reinforcements into combat on Tuesday against rival Islamic State militants who have seized crucial territory near the northern city of Aleppo in recent days, building on the momentum the group has achieved in other battlefield successes in Syria and Iraq.

Amid increased fears that Aleppo could be the next big prize to fall to the Islamic State in the latest twist to the four-year-old Syrian civil war, Syrian opposition leaders accused the government of essentially collaborating with the Islamic State, also known as ISIS and ISIL, by bombing other rival insurgent groups, even though the government and Islamic State say they are enemies.

[McGruff]

What a ****** mess.

[Resolute Conservative]

Target identification must be fun, look a guy with a head-wrap, beard, and an AK...

[2banana]

Syrian opposition leaders accused the government of essentially collaborating with the Islamic State, also known as ISIS and ISIL, by bombing other rival insurgent groups, even though the government and Islamic State say they are enemies.

Syrian Rebels: We want to overthrow Assad and kill him. How DARE he give some aid to ISIS so that they can attack US!!! Does obama know about this????

[M Kehoe]

Hi.

If ISIS can control a wide area between the Med and Gulf, they will be a force to reckon with.

5.56mm

[AU72]

ISIS is not a band of fanatic volunteers. They are well versed in tactics and are using modern weapons and tanks(US).

I suspect the leadership cadre are from the elite units of the disbanded Iraqi guards.

[Pollster1]

If the non-ISIS rebels had any sense, they would give up on overthrowing Assad and join the government in destroying ISIS - so this is a start. Assad will not (for the most part) murder all the men in villages and then sell the women as sex slaves, and he’s not terribly brutal to his loyal citizens, at least not by local standards. A country could have much better leaders than Assad, but that is not an option; their choice is to keep Assad or face far worse.

[Lorianne]

“Syrian insurgents”?
I thought ISIS were the insurgents.
What a mess.

[caww]

Waiting for the time someone just drops bombs on Damascus...and throughout...end of story. It will be at least 15 months til then.

[caww]

ISIS is already a force to be reckoned with....the control of waterways, (trade and Oil) is fast approaching....and they closed down portions of the Euphrates's