(MENAFN) Two Syrian rebel factions declare they were merging on Sunday, in a clear attempt to pre-empt a broader clash with jihadists in the country's fractured northwest.
"We, Ahrar al-Sham and Nureddine al-Zinki, announce our merger under the Syrian Liberation Front," the two groups announced.
Having a strong presence in the country's north, along the border between the provinces of Aleppo and Idlib, both groups are Islamists rebel factions.
Sam Heller, a senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, said the merger was linked to HTS's growing power in northern Syria.
"This is an attempt to form a counterweight to Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, which is apparently positioning itself for a new fight with Zinki," he told AFP.
"Zinki and Ahrar are the two most substantial non-jihadist factions in the rebel-held north, and Zinki in particular has been an obstacle to Hayat Tahrir al-Sham's attempts to consolidate control."
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