Jabhat al-Nusra tank commander sees little alternative to group
While Aleppo is not entirely under the control of Jabhat al-Nusra, the group has a strong presence in many of the city's neighborhoods and is currently fighting to take hold of villages north of Aleppo province, where they are facing Lebanese Hezbollah troops that are fighting alongside the Syrian regime.
ALEPPO, Syria — Khaled was a theater student in Damascus prior to working as a disc jockey and then joining the rebel group Jaish al-Mujahideen. He is now fighting in the ranks of the local al-Qaeda affiliate, Jabhat al-Nusra.
"Jaish [al-Mujahideen] wasn’t strong enough. [Jabhat al-] Nusra is more powerful, and that’s what we need right now," the 25-year-old in a brand-name jacket and glasses, camouflage trousers and black combat boots told Al-Monitor in the opposition-held part of Syria’s former industrial capital and largest city.
The shaggy-haired man said that he had received training in Idlib from Jabhat al-Nusra about a year ago, and that he was now working as a tank commander in Aleppo province.
Jabhat al-Nusra’s ideology is similar to that of the Islamic State (IS), but it has largely avoided the brutal tactics and repression of civilians the group it is fighting against in the Aleppo province is known for. Those in its ranks are believed to be mostly Syrians, in contrast with the high number of foreigners who have joined IS.
