A document circulated on the internet claims to be an official condemnation by the Islamic Front of the “treachery” of the Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham and its military leader, Umar Shishani, following the battle over the town of ar-Raei on the Turkish border.
Last week, ISIS tried to claim ar-Raei from insurgents, having withstood an attack by Turkish forces as it advanced on the town:
See Syria: ISIS Claim Capture Of Ar-Raei, 24 Hours After Turkish Attack
The document claims that following the battle, the Islamic Front and other groups accepted a cease-fire. Umar Shishani then said he would send an emissary to meet the other parties. However, the emissary was a suicide bomber who set off his explosives, killing several insurgents.
The English translation of the document:
Indeed, the worst of living creatures in the sight of Allah are those who have disbelieved, and they will not [ever] believe –
The ones with whom you made a treaty but then they break their pledge every time, and they do not fear Allah. So if you, [O Muhammad], gain dominance over them in war, disperse by [means of] them those behind them that perhaps they will be reminded.
(Al Anfal 55-57)
On Sunday 02/02/2014, after the organization of “The State of al-Baghdadi” (Islamic State of Iraq and as-Sham) failed to capture the city of ar-Raei, and after some of them were taken prisoner and killed, Umar Shishani sent a message to the military commanders, telling them that he would send them one of the authorized Sharia delegate of “The State of al-Baghdadi,” to explain to them the true nature of the battle going on, and to hold talks for ending bloodshed, and a ceasefire.
After the military leaders agreed, and they guaranteed security and agreed on a ceasefire agreement — and held to it — this Sharia-authorized delegate breached the contract and covenant, and blew himself up among the leaders gathered for talks.
And present in this meeting were leaders of the Islamic Front and the al-Fatah command and the as-Sultan Muhammad al-Fatih Brigade. And the result of this treacherous action was the murder of the following Mujahideen: Abdul-Malik Hadaba Islam, Muhammad Dirbas, Nurs, Yusuf ad-Daj, as-Sayyyad, Shaykh Ahmad al-Fayad, Abdus Salam as-Sun.
Therefore, we emphasize the following:
After all the initiatives that we put forward to protect the blood that we have advanced only because we considered them Muslims, and after their violation of treaties and agreements, while Allah says: “Keep the same contract! — after all, we notify everyone who follows the path of the Assad regime in the shedding of blood of Muslims without right — whether it be the State of al-Baghdadi or Hezbollah and others — that we in place of those of us who are murdered we will (kill) a thousand, and that we will no longer comply with contractual obligations in relation to them or those related to them, and we capture them with an iron grip, and the “State” will learn the truth of our threats, and you will see and hear it.
And also we make a last appeal to those groups who chose to stay and observe neutrality — explain your position in relation to this criminal organization. And we look to the Muslim scholars — explain the nature of this organization, if you want to justify your knowledge before Allah.
“And there is no hostility except toward the wicked”
Mujahideen of the Northern Province of Aleppo (Islamic Front).
(Featured image: Umar Shishani)
