Syrian al-Qaeda affiliate al-Nusra Front has ceded frontline positions against Daesh to other rebel factions in an area of northern Syria where Turkey hopes to establish a buffer zone, Reuters reported Monday.
A Nusra statement dated Sunday criticized a Turkish-US plan to rid the border area of Daesh fighters, saying the move would serve the national interests of Turkey, rather than the fight against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Reuters reported.
“Facing this current scene, our only option was to withdraw and leave our front line positions [with Daesh] in the northern Aleppo countryside for any fighting faction in these areas to take over,” Nusra said.
The US and Turkey last month announced plans to create a “Daesh-free” buffer zone in a strip of territory in northern Aleppo along the Turkish border. Nusra said such a plan aimed to prevent the establishment of a Kurdish state, Reuters reported.
