People of Babila and Yalda suburbs south of Damascus took to the streets on Tuesday protesting against the Nusra Front's practices and abuses, chanting slogans of support for local rebels in their fight against Al-Qaeda’s Syrian wing.
A ceasefire was reached on Sunday between the Nusra Front and Sham al-Rasoul brigade in suburbs of Babila and Beit Sahm after negotiations conducted by the Army of Islam ended two days of fierce infighting, killing dozens of fighters and civilians.
Rising tensions from repeated abuse by Nusra members has pushed both people and rebels of the embattled suburbs of Babila, Beit Sahm and Yalda to demand the Front leave to avoid further bloodshed.
Babila’s local council, in a statement posted online Wednesday, said fighters of Nusra Front are “our brothers”, with the council’s major concern being the “corrupted gang that claims affiliation to Nusra in the southern suburbs”.
