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Syria Jihadists Take Iraq Border Post
 [An Nahar] Jihadist fighters of Al-Nusra Front have seized control of a checkpoint on northeast Syria's border with Iraq, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on Friday.The rebels overran the post at Yaarubiyeh in oil-rich Hassakeh province on Thursday after fierce festivities with government forces, the Britannia-based Observatory said in a statement. The border crossing had been controlled by rebel forces last year before the army recaptured it. Al-Nusra Front, an increasingly influential factor in Syria's conflict, also took control of the nearby town of Shaddadeh and surrounding villages in mid-February. It first gained notoriety for its suicide kabooms in Syria's main cities and has evolved into a strong fighting force leading attacks on battlefronts throughout the country. The Front's tactics and suspected affiliation to al-Qaeda's offshoot in Iraq have landed it on the U.S. list of terrorist organizations. Rebels of the mainstream Free Syrian Army have told Agence La Belle France Presse that Al-Nusra fighters, despite their small numbers, have greater economic and logistical support than other snuffies and funding from abroad. The jihadist group targets strategic points mainly in eastern Syria, including oil and gas facilities, and draws recruits from the local population by paying them a salary. Posted by: Fred 2013-03-02 |
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