LATEST: Suicide Bombers Kill 13 Regime Soldiers in Hama Province
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The Islamic State of Iraq and as-Sham has rejected an effort to end its four-week battle with insurgents in Syria.
In a statement on Monday, ISIS dismissed the “Umma Initiative” for reconciliation, saying it was “fighting those who fight it, taking revenge from and curtailing the power of those who have wronged it without any hesitation.”
The Iraqi-led group called for a rejection of the Supreme Military Council and Syrian National Coalition as “projects opposed to the institution of Sharia law”.
ISIS then effectively condemned insurgent factions for working with foreign governments and their intelligence services, asking for “the lawful manner” of dealing with the opposition factions.
The Umma Initiative was launched by Saudi preacher Abdullah bin Mohammed al-Moheisini last Thursday. It called for an “immediate ceasefire in all parts of Syria” with agreement from “all groups present in the Syrian arena.”
The ISIS-insurgent clashes began at the start of January. Insurgent forces initially pushed ISIS out of almost all its positions in northern and eastern Syria, but ISIS has regained the city of Raqqa — the largest held by opposition forces — and other areas, notably in Aleppo Province.
Suicide Bombers Kill 13 Regime Soldiers in Hama Province
Two suicide bombers have killed 13 soldiers in an attack on Rahjan in Hama Province, according to activists.
One of the bombers, a Saudi national named Turki al-Ashaari, was from the Islamist faction Jabhat al-Nusra. Ajnad al-Sham, another Islamist group, also claimed participation, saying the town was targeted because it is the largest base for pro-Assad militias in the area.
Al-Ashaari’s last post on his Twitter account, “The Last Chapter of My Life”, linked to messages to his family and his fellow fighters:
You should carry out martyrdom operations. Your souls are cheap, not expensive. All you must do is be sure you are killing apostates. Do not place yourself in a suspicious place.
I seek martyrdom and the house of Assad will be destroyed with me.
Senior Jabhat al-Nusra sharii & #Hama-based official Turki al-Ashari carried out a suicide bombing in Rif Hama today. pic.twitter.com/hqz3p0zzTd
— Charles Lister (@Charles_Lister) January 27, 2014