(Milan) – In early December the United States and Britain announced that they are suspending all non-lethal aid to opposition forces in northern Syria due to the infiltration of Islamist combat forces and increased infighting among rebel groups seeking to overthrow President Bashar al-Assad.
A rise in more extremist elements connected not only to al-Qaeda but other splinter groups is being attributed to the lack of government forces in the country’s northern regions, as well as the weakened presence of the “secular” rebel forces, the Free Syrian Army (FSA), in the area.
Testimonies taken from villages in the River Orontes Valley (such as Knayeh, Yacoubieh, Jdeideh, Ghassanieh), which until now have remained wholly or mainly Christian, confirm that extremist groups have taken full control of the territory, governing it as an “emirate” or muslim principality.
The situation is particularly bleak and dangerous for Christians who, sources said, have been ordered to eliminate crosses, religious statues and to silence church bells. Women may only appear in public if fully covered, with the exception of their face.
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Syria’s North Struggles as Rebel Groups Continue to Splinter- Terrasanta.net