The al-Qaeda branch in Syria, al-Nusra Front, has announced its break from the parent terror organization in an apparent bid to gain more support from foreign powers.

In a rare televised message on Thursday, Nusra chief in Syria Abu Mohamad al-Jolani said his group will be rebranded and will end connections with entities outside Syria.

Jolani said Nusra would change its name to Jabhat Fath al-Sham (The Conquest of Syria Front), saying the new group “will have no links whatsoever with foreign parties.”
He said Nusra took the step “to remove the excuse used by the international community, spearheaded by America and Russia, that they are targeting the Nusra Front, which is associated with al-Qaeda.”
The statement was preceded by an audio message from al-Qaeda leaders, in which they endorsed the break in organizational ties.

Al-Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahri said Thursday that Nusra leaders “can sacrifice without hesitation” the organizational and party ties if those links conflict with their unity and working.

“Your unity and unification is more important to us than any organizational link,” said Zawahri.

Many had expected the announcement as there were speculations that by distancing itself from al-Qaeda, Nusra would seek to secure more financial and arms support from rich Arab states of the Persian Gulf region.

The break in ties could also facilitate relations between Nusra and other armed groups in Syria.

Nusra and Daesh, another Takfiri group which is mainly operating in eastern Syria, have been excluded from a cessation of hostilities agreement engineered by the United States and Russia since the end of February.

US Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said last week that they had agreed on “concrete steps” to save a failing Syria truce and tackle extremist groups like Nusra and Daesh.

Kerry said Washington has proposed closer cooperation with Russia in sharing intelligence to coordinate air strikes against Nusra militants.

Nusra was created months after the start of the conflict in Syria in 2011. The group first enjoyed support from Daesh, but split from the group in 2013 and joined al-Qaeda.

Intelligence officials from some Persian Gulf states have reportedly met Nusra leader Abu Mohammad al-Jolani several times in the past few months to encourage him to abandon al-Qaeda and to promise funding for his terror outfit once it distances from al-Qaeda.

By Press TV