BEIRUT — A group of extremist Islamist factions in Syria has rejected the country’s new opposition coalition, saying in a video statement they have formed an “Islamic state” in the embattled city of Aleppo to underline their rejection of the Western-backed bloc.
The statement was a reaction to the Syrian National Coalition for Opposition and Revolutionary Forces, formed Nov. 11 in Qatar to unify groups trying to topple the regime of President Bashar Assad. The coalition is led by a popular Muslim cleric and is seen as a way to counter the growing influence of Islamic extremists in the 20-month old revolt that has claimed more than 36,000 lives.
A militant website released the video late Sunday in which a representative for the Islamist fighters said: “We have unanimously agreed to urgently establish an Islamic state and to reject any foreign project.”
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