Al-Qaeda calls on Islamist militants to unite against anti-IS coalition.

(Baonghean.vn) - On Islamic websites, two branches of al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) and in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) have called on Islamic rebels in Iraq and Syria to unite against the coalition confronting the Islamic State (IS).

On Tuesday, September 16, two al-Qaeda groups called on “our Mujahedeen brothers in Iraq and the Levant to stop killing each other and unite against America and its evil coalition, which is a direct threat to all of us.”

Al-Qaeda also called for “abandoning skepticism and moving toward unity.” AQAP and AQIM demanded an end to the war that has killed thousands of people between the two rival organizations, IS and Frente al-Nosra. Currently, IS occupies four provinces in Iraq and a large part of the northern and northeastern part of Syria. Meanwhile, Frente al-Nosra is the main branch of al-Qaeda in Syria and is considered one of the major rebel forces there.

The announcement came after the Paris conference, which was organized by the US with the participation of Arab and Western countries, aimed at laying the foundation for the formation of an international coalition to support Iraq against extremist Islamic militants. Previously, the US had also carried out many airstrikes against IS militants in Iraq.

The message was also addressed to the Syrian opposition, which is seeking to overthrow President Assad and seek support from the United States and its Arab allies. AQIM and AQAP stressed that “those who take up arms against the tyrant Bashar and his militias must not become pawns for the United States.” At the same time, the two al-Qaeda branches also recruited Sunnis in Iraq and Syria.

Chu Thanh