The Commander of Soqour al-Sham brigade, in statement posted online, called on rebels loyal to the Islamic State (IS) Edlib to surrender and hand over their weapons within 12 hours.
Abu Issa al-Sheikh, a top commander in the Islamic Front, a powerful rebel alliance, ordered fighters with the Sham Army and Daoud brigades, which were previously affiliated to Soqour al-Sham, to surrender and to leave their weapons since they pledged allegiance to the Islamic caliphate proclaimed by IS.
Sheikh's statement came in response to a surprise withdrawal by the Daoud brigade from the town of Sarmeen in Edlib to join IS in Raqqa province.
Syrian rebels, including the main Islamist factions, said last week that the creation of a caliphate by IS was "null and void", according to AFP.
Leaders of the Islamic Front have publicly criticized the IS for its brutal tactics, and the Islamic Front rebel factions have battled the Al-Qaeda-inspired group.
Edlib has been carved up into rebel- and government-controlled areas since opposition fighters launched an offensive in the country's north in mid-2012.
Syria's conflict, now in its fourth year, has killed at least 162,000 people, according to activists, and forced nearly three million to flee the country.
Translated and edited by The Syrian Observer
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