Estimated read time: Less than a minute
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
SANLIURFA, Turkey (AP) — Al-Qaida's Syrian affiliate is warning that jihadists around the world will strike back at the coalition that's conducting airstrikes against Islamic militants in Syria.
The al-Qaida affiliate, the Nusra Front, is one of the targets of the U.S.-led coalition conducting air raids in Syria, along with the extremist group known as the Islamic State. Both groups want to impose Islamic law in Syria, but they are fighting each other in Syria.
Al-Qaida's central leadership has rejected the Islamic State group, which has seized parts of Syria and Iraq, massacred and beheaded its opponents and chased out minority groups.
The Nusra Front is fighting alongside other rebel groups to overthrow President Bashar Assad's government. While Washington views the Nusra Front as a terrorist organization, most Syrian rebels see it as a highly effective ally.
The United States and five Arab allies launched an aerial campaign against Islamic extremists in Syria last week.
Today airstrikes likely carried out by the coalition struck an oil refinery in northern Syria near the Turkish border that was held by Islamic State militants.
Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
