The former al-Nusra Front has launched attacks on Free Syrian Army factions to "thwart conspiracies." The militant group's allies have called on it to stop attacking opposition groups or face the consequences.
Image: picture-alliance/abaca/S. Mahmud Leyla
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A Syrian militant group formerly affiliated to al-Qaeda on Wednesday crushed several factions of the Free Syrian Army (FSA), considered the largest moderate armed opposition group.
The Levant Conquest Front, formerly known as al-Nusra Front, launched a series of attacks in northwestern Syria, one of the last bastions of resistance to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
The militant group, also known as Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, said in a statement on Tuesday that it had been forced to act in order to "thwart conspiracies" aimed at discrediting them.
"Conferences and negotiations" were "trying to divert the course of the revolution towards reconciliation with the criminal regime (of Assad)," the group said, referring to peace talks in the Kazakh capital of Astana.
The Levant Conquest Front had not been invited to the talks, brokered by Assad's ally Russia and Turkey, which has supported the FSA.
How did Europe's refugee crisis start?
From escalating violence in the Middle East and Africa to incoherent asylum policy at home - DW looks at how the EU has found itself in the midst of a refugee crisis.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa
Fleeing war and poverty
In late 2014, with the war in Syria approaching its fourth year and Islamic State making gains in the north of the country, the exodus of Syrians intensified. At the same time, others were fleeing violence and poverty in countries such as Iraq, Afghanistan, Eritrea, Somalia, Niger and Kosovo.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa
Seeking refuge over the border
Vast numbers of Syrian refugees had been gathering in border-town camps in neighboring Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan since 2011. By 2015, with the camps full to bursting and residents often unable to find work or educate their children, more and more people decided to seek asylum further afield.
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A long journey on foot
In 2015 an estimated 1.5 million people made their way on foot from Greece towards western Europe via the "Balkan route". The Schengen Agreement, which allows passport-free travel within much of the EU, was called into question as refugees headed towards the wealthier European nations.
Image: Getty Images/M. Cardy
Desperate sea crossings
Tens of thousands of refugees were also attempting the perilous journey across the Mediterranean on overcrowded boats. In April 2015, 800 people of various nationalities drowned when a boat traveling from Libya capsized off the Italian coast. This was to be just one of many similar tragedies - by the end of the year, nearly 4,000 refugees were reported to have died attempting the crossing.
Image: Reuters/D. Zammit Lupi
Pressure on the borders
Countries along the EU's external border struggled to cope with the sheer number of arrivals. Fences were erected in Hungary, Slovenia, Macedonia and Austria. Asylum laws were tightened and several Schengen area countries introduced temporary border controls.
Image: picture-alliance/epa/B. Mohai
Closing the open door
Critics of German Chancellor Angela Merkel's "open-door" refugee policy claimed it had made the situation worse by encouraging more people to embark on the dangerous journey to Europe. By September 2016, Germany had also introduced temporary checks on its border with Austria.
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Striking a deal with Turkey
In early 2016, the EU and Turkey signed an agreement under which refugees arriving in Greece could be sent back to Turkey. The deal has been criticized by human rights groups and came under new strain following a vote by the European Parliament in November to freeze talks on Turkey's potential accession to the EU.
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No end in sight
With anti-immigration sentiment in Europe growing, governments are still struggling to reach a consensus on how to handle the continuing refugee crisis. Attempts to introduce quotas for the distribution of refugees among EU member states have largely failed. Conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere show no signs coming to an end, and the death toll from refugee sea crossings is on the rise.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/S. Mitrolidis
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'We will not allow this to pass'
Considered one of the most powerful rebel groups in Syria, the hardline Nusra Front last year announced that it had cut ties with al-Qaeda, despite a lack of change in its leadership and overall structure. It rebranded under the name Levant Conquest Front.
Before this week's attacks on FSA factions, the group had been prepared to merge with Ahrar al-Sham, another major Islamist faction fighting in the Idlib province.
However, Ahrar al-Sham warned the Levant Conquest Front of attacking opposition groups in the area, accusing it of rejecting mediation efforts aimed at reconciling FSA factions and the former al-Qaeda affiliate.
"If the fighting continues and if one party continues to do an injustice to another, then we will not allow this to pass, regardless of the cost, even if we become victims of this," said Ahrar al-Sham chief Abu Ammar al-Omar.
Since 2011, the Syrian opposition has splintered among ideological lines, with one side considered to hold nationalist ideals and the other seeking hardline Islamic rule.
More than 300,000 people have been killed and half the population displaced since the conflict erupted six-years-ago, when regime forces launched a brutal crackdown on peaceful protesters demanding Assad step down.
Pigeon Bazaar in Turkey
In the troubled southeastern Turkish region of Sanliurfa, pigeon auctions are a welcome distraction. Enthusiasts regularly spend hundreds of euros on a single bird.
Image: Reuters/U. Bektas
Pigeon auction in the Turkish city of Sanliurfa
A stream of men carrying cardboard boxes filled with pigeons heads to three tea-houses. Here, they sell the birds to a dedicated band of pigeon keepers and breeders at Sanliurfa's famed auctions. It's a pastime that has been thriving for hundreds of years across the region, as well as across the nearby border in war-torn Syria.
Image: Reuters/U. Bektas
Troubled region
Sanliurfa is situated just 50km (30 miles) from Syria, in the southeastern region that has been rocked by clashes between government troops and Kurdish insurgents. But despite this, trade in the region has carried on.
Passion for Pigeons
On closer inspection, you can see that the birds are adorned with little jewelled piercings. This specimen is known as "Siyah Kinifirli" and is worth 1000 Turkish Lira (243 €).
Image: Reuters/U. Bektas
Precious hobby
Auctioneer Dildas proudly reports: "I once sold a pair of pigeons for 35,000 Lira (8,500 €). This is a passion you cannot stop. I've been known to sell the fridge and my wife's gold bracelets to pay for pigeons."
Image: Reuters/U. Bektas
Peaceful friends
When they are not trading, most of the city's pigeon enthusiasts head to the rooftops at sunset and let their birds stretch their wings. Hundreds fill the sky before following their training and heading home. "The birds are my friends. They give me peace," says 55-year-old aficionado Resit Guzel.
Image: Reuters/U. Bektas
Doping for healthy birds
Vitamins and antibiotics for pigeons are also sold at auction. Guzel gives his 70 birds quality feed and regular vitamins. "Upkeep costs 5 Lira (1,20 €) a day, which is not much. Even if it cost me more, I wouldn't mind," he says.
Image: Reuters/U. Bektas
Too many pigeons
In the early days of the conflict in neighboring Syria, there was an oversupply of birds on the market. Enthusiasts from northern Syria fled to Turkey bringing their pigeons with them. "Prices fell, but as the conflict escalated and there were no more pigeons coming from Syria, prices rose again," says 23-year-old breeder Ismail Ozbek.
