Al-Nusra Front to target Alawite faith, Assad 'over chemical attacks'- recording

Al-Nusra Front to target Alawite faith, Assad 'over chemical attacks'- recording.HT: RussiaToday.

The head of the Syria-based and Al-Qaeda linked Al-Nusa front has vowed unrestrained rocket attacks on Alawite communities, alongside attacks on President Bashar Assad’s government in revenge for an alleged chemical strike, according to a new recording.

“For every chemical rocket that had [has] fallen on our people in Damascus, one of their villages will, by the will of God, pay for it,” said Jabhat al-Nusra leader, Abu Mohammed al-Golani in the audio footage released on YouTube on Sunday. It was posted on a militant website which usually broadcasts the views of Al-Qaeda and similar extremist groups. 

It simultaneously appeared on the group’s Facebook and Twitter accounts, suggesting that it was authentic. However, it could not immediately be verified for its authenticity. 

“On top of that we will prepare a thousand rockets that will be fired on their towns in revenge for the Damascus Ghouta massacre,” al-Golani continued. 

Assad’s government is largely comprised of Alawite Muslims – a branch of Shi’ite Islam whose villages’ al-Golani swore he would target. Alawites make up roughly 12 percent of Syria’s population. 

The Al-Nusra front’s existing actions against minorities in northern Iraq have prompted concern after witness reports of kidnappings, rape and murder emerged in early August. The Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) issued reports that “hundreds of Kurdish civilians have been kidnapped, tortured and their houses have been looted and burned down.”

The Al-Nusra Front’s Sunni Muslims have claimed to be behind some of the most lethal bombings in Syria’s two-and-a-half year conflicts and have led some effective rebel offensives over the period. In April it declared that it was joining with Al-Qaeda's Islamic State of Iraq group. It is considered a terrorist organization by the US.

Al-Golani’s vengeful comments come in the wake of an alleged chemical attack on Wednesday in an eastern suburb of Damascus. Death tolls from the reported assault vary from 136 to as high as 1,300. A video voice recording has been set on the internet.

Related:  Erdogan blames Syria for deadly bombings, while Iran blames Al-Nusra Front.

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