this man was among them abdul rahman al-qadhi a top commander called the al-nusra front and abdul rahmandhi was killed in an army attack on thursday. he reportedly worked with al-qaeda in the late 1990s and travels to iraq before the fall of baghdad in 2003 and he was arrested and handed over to syrian authorities who later released him and later returned to baghdad and became a military commander of al-qaeda and 2005 we went to lebanon and met the top command from afghanistan to syria, that is where he joined the ranks of al-nusra front in 2012. >> senior military commander for al-nusra and this is going to be an important blow. >> reporter: over the years al-nusra front took positions from the syrian army and were challenged by more modern syrian rebels and later by the islamic state of iraq and levante. in fighting helped the syrian government tack back control and target leadership of all rebel groups fighting against it and a divided international community has not helped them seeking regime change. >> the regime has gotten stronger in the left several months and it seems to have pi

. ♪ >>> a senior come mab manageder of the al-nusra front has been killed in syria. ied in a government air strike in the city of idlib on thursday. he was a veteran al-qaeda leader. zana hoda reports from lebanon. >> reporter: this man was al-nusra front's second in command. his death comes at a critical time for the organization. there have been reports that syria's al-qaeda branch has been asked to put links with the organization, and become a purely syrian force so it can receive funds and weapons. this individual use was reportedly filmed in aleppo in december. it emerged after they announced his death. he was fighting for al-qaeda in afghanistan and iraq as well. and he was among the so-called hard liners. >> they were the hard liner, extremist, proal-qaeda regular of al-nusra, with which is the local manifestation of al-qaeda supposedly that have been made against the offer to take a different course. al-nusra has been can requested via many channels and via many external forces regional and international that it has to decide. >> reporter: the syrian governmen

it emerged after al-nusra announced his death. was also fighting for al-qaeda in afghanistan and iraq and analysts say he was among the so-called hard liners. >> they were the hard liner extremist pro-al-qaeda segment of al-nusra that have been against the offer made to al-nusra in recent times to take a different course than it is now. al-nusra has been asked by many -- via many channels and by many external forces regional and international that it has to decide. >> a cartel. >> the syrian government claimed responsible for what is being described as a painful and powerful hit. abu hammam al-shami and a somebody of other muslim leaders had been killed in an army operation targeting a meeting. a weakened al-nusra benefits the syrian government. it has been perhaps the most powerful rival on the ground but a weakened al-nusra could work against the government. it's presence has been one of the reasons why the west hasn't provided much-needed opposition to the opposition. al-nusra has already changed the face of the opposition. it

al-nusra is al qaeda's branch in syria, on the list of terror organizations and sanctions by the u.n. there's pressure for it to become a syrian organization. there are splits. the men killed are believed to be the hard liners the extremists in the organization. those that do not want to it's place from al qaeda. this is undoubtedly weakening the organization the visions. it's one of the most powerful players, it's the main rifle of the government on the ground. we'll have to see how this plays out in the next few days if the divisions become deeper. over recent days they were sending a message to the west, declaring war on an ally. the movement was forced to disband. it was refusing weapons from the u.s. the message was we are the force on the ground, we can eliminate anyone we want on the ground. we'll have to wait to see whether or not this group will succumb to the pressures from the outside. >>> fighters from islamic state of iraq and levant started destroying another of iraq's important archeological sights. the ancient syrian city of nimrod is on the tigris river, dating back m

he held the title of general military commander for the al-nusra front. hoda reports. >> reporter: abu hammam al-shami was al-nusra front's second in command. there have been reports that syria's al-qaeda bunch has be asked to cut links with the organization, and become a purely syrian force so it can receive funds and weapons. this video was reportedly filmed in aleppo in december it emerged and al-nusra announced his death. abu hammam al-shami was fighting to al-qaeda in afghanistan and iraq as well. analysts say he was among the so-called hard liners. >> they were the hard liner extremist proal-qaeda settlement of al-nusra. which was the manifestation of al-qaeda, supposedly who has been approached to take a different course. al-nusra has been asked by many channels -- by many -- via many channels and by many external forces regional and international that it has to decide. >> reporter: the syrian government claimed responsibility for what is being described as a painful and powerful hit. the state news agency said abu hammam al-shami and a number of o

it emerged after al nusra announced his death. did he not just operate in syria. he was fighting for al-qaeda in afghanistan and iraq, and analysts say he was among the so-called hard liners. >> they were the hard liners, extremeists al-qaeda segment of the local manifestation of al-qaeda supposedly, that have been aged and to take a different course with many channels of forces in regional and international of the al nusra side. >> they're being described as a painful and powerful hit. the state news agency said that a number of al nusra leaders have been killed in an army operation targeting the meeting held in the rural area of idlib. >> it has been one of its most powerful rivals if not the most powerful rival on the ground. it's president has been one of the reasons why the west has not provided weapons to the syrian opposition. if those weapons start to flow in it could an game changer. but al nusra has changed the opposition. it has been responsible for weakening the so-called moderate camp. al nusra declared war on the movement which forced it to demand. fo

this video emerged after al-nusra announced his death. hammam al-shami didn't just operate in syria, he was fighting for al-qaeda in afc and iraq and analysts say he was among the so-called hard liners. >> they were the hard liner extremist proqaeda segment of nusra, which is the local manifest indication of al-qaeda supposedly that have been against the offer made to al-nusra in recent times to take a different course. al-nusra has been requested via many channels and by many external forces regional and international that it has to decide. >> reporter: the syrian government claimed responsibility for what is being described as a painful and powerful hit. the state news agency said abu hammam al-shami and a number of nusra leaders had been killed in an army operation targeting the meeting held in a village in the rural area of idlib. a weakened al-nusra will benefit the government but at the same time a weakened al-nusra could work against the government. it's presence has been one of the reasons why the west hasn't provided much-needed w

. >> a senior commander of al-nusra front has been killed in syria. he died in a government air strike in the city thursday. he was a veteran al-qaeda leader who held the title of general military commander for nusra front. we have a report. >> this is an al-qaeda training camp 16 years ago where some of al-qaeda's top commanders today were being trained. this man was among them, a top commander for al-qaeda's syrian branch, called the nusra front or al-nusra. he was killed on thursday in an army attack. he reportedly fought with al-qaeda in the late 1990's in afghanistan, then traveled to iraq before the fall of baghdad in 2003. he was arrested by the iraqi intelligence services and handed over to syrian authorities who later released him. he returned to baghdad and became a commander of al-qaeda in iraq. in 2005, he traveled to lebanon. his travel and jail times meant he met every important figure in al-qaeda's top command from afghanistan to syria, where he joined the ranks of al-nusra front in 2012. >> he's a senior commander military commander for

. >> reporter: this man was al-nusra front's second in command. s death comes at a critical time for the organization. there has been reports that they have been asked to cut links with the al-qaeda organize accusation and become a independent force so they can receive funds and weapons. this man didn't just operate in syria, he was fighting for al-qaeda in afghanistan and iraq, and analysts say he was among the so-called hard liners. >> they were the hard liner, extremist segment of al-nusra which is the local manifest indication of al-qaeda supposedly that have been against the offer made to al-nusra in recent times to take a different course. al-nusra has been asked by many channels via many channels and by many external forces regional and international that it has to decide. >> reporter: the syrian government claimed responsibility for what is being described as painful and powerful hit. he and a number of other leaders had been killed in an army operation targeting meeting held in a rural area of idlib. a weakened al-nusra benefits the syrian

this man was among them, a top command fore al qaeda's branch in syria called the nusra front. as killed in ray syrian army attack in it lib on thursday. he fought in afghanistan with al qaeda in the late 1990s he traveled to iraq before the fall of baghdad in 2003, he was arrested by the iraqi intelligence services and handed over to the syrian authorities who later released him. he then returned to the baghdad and became a military commander of al cal killed a in iraq, he met every important top figure. that's where he joined the ranks of al-nusra in 2012. >> he's a senior military commander for al-nusra, this will be a bigelow. >> reporter: over the years al-nusra front took many extra teen i can positions from the syrian army. those gains were traveled later by isil. the in fighting has helped the syrian government take back control and target the leadership of all rebel groups fighting against it. a divided international community hasn't helped syrians seeking regime change. >> the regime has gotten stronger in the last several months. it seems to be -- it seems to have pic

al jazeera. >> let's have a closer look now at the nusra front and what it's objectives are. as you already heard, it's al-qaeda's branch in syria having taken on the name in 2012 as part of the jump rising against the assad regime. they have been fighting other groups including isil and its leaders are reportedly considering cutting ties now with al-qaeda to form a purely syrian force. rebranding this group could secure more funding for them. the nusra front is under u.n. security council sanctions and is lifted listed as a terrorist group by the united states. we can talk to a specialist on islamic studies at the american university of beirut. thank you for joining us. what difference will it make to nusra front the loss of the leader? >> first of all he's the mostly senior military commander but i think this kind of liquidation comes first in a wave of the government successes to i think more importantly in the beginning of the wave of the division among the nusra leadership itself, as you might know the leadership, most of it is now seems to be ready to mitt from al-qaeda,

the fighting in aleppo was not the first confrontation with al nusra. al nusra pushed the hazzem group out of idlib. it is based in the rebel-controlled north. it is the first to receive weapons from the u.s. but it's links with the west only earned it enemies on the ground. the fact that the hazzem movement no longer exists is a set back to arm and train a rebel force. this is not the only obstacle that the obama administration is facing. it's finding it hard that the force it wants to train is will be used to fight the islamic state in iraq and the levant. for the opposition the priority should be fighting the government. syrians and opposition-controlled areas are worried. the rebel infighting coincides with government efforts to control aleppo city and cut off supply lines to turkey. >> we call on the rebels to stop fighting each other. we should go to the front lines and fight the regime instead. we're being attacked by militias. they're trying to lay siege to aleppo. >> hazzem was one of the few rebel groups that the obama administration entrusted

. ♪ ♪ >>> the senior commander of the al-nusra front has been killed in syria.died in a government air strike in the city of idlib on thursday. initially the nusra front claimed he was killed in a u.s. drone strike last week. now the group is confirming his death in idlib along with several other commanders. zeina happenedder happenedder is live for us there. tell us more about the air strike. >> reporter: yes, al-nusra confirming it lost several commanders including the number two in the organization. considered the military brain behind the office. we haven't heard from the leader of the movement. there were some reports yesterday he was in the meeting. this is still unconfirmed. >> reporter: what we know is there was a meet of high-level commanders. when the meeting was targeted. this is syria's al qaeda branch. they are powerful players on the ground. this is why analysts say this is a major blow. it's a powerful hit. this group really has been fighting on the frontlines dealing severe blows to the syrian government. just a few days ago they attacked the syr

al nusra should go to the front lines and fight the regime instead. they're trying to say that they're trying to lay siege to aleppo. >> hazzem was one of the few rebel groups that the obama administration trusted. if and when that force is ready it will face opposition not just from the government and isil but from within rebel ranks. al jazeera beirut. >> north korea has warned of merciless strikes against its enemies. it made the threat after launching two short-range missiles. they were fired from the city of nampo and fired into the ocean. >> reporter: when two countries aren't technically still at war any show of force makes people nervous. every year south key's military and troops show off their firepower in joint drills. every year north korea responds. this time it fired two short- short-range missiles before the south korean drills even began. >> this is a deliberate provocation seened as an armed protest. we're ready to respond immediately. if it takes provocative action, our military will react firmly and strongly so north korea will regr

the mobile world congress in barcelona spain, look, at the growth of mobile gaming >>> a senior al nusra front commander has been killed in a government air strike. he was killed in an army operation in idlib on thursday. this is an al qaeda training camp in afghanistan. top commanders were trained. this man was among them. a top commander in syria, culled al nusra front. >> killed in an army attack. fought in afghanistan in the late 1990s. he travelled to iraq in the fall of baghdad, arrested by the services and hand over to the syrian authorities who released them he returned to baghdad and became a provider in iran. gravel and gaol time meant he met many figure from al qaeda, where he joined the front. he's a senior commander for nusra. this will be a below. >> over the years he took strategic positions from the harm a. in fighting helped the government to take back control targetting leadership of all groups fighting against it. the international community has not helped the regime has gotten strong stronger it steams have picked up speeds, taking some of the pressure off. hezbollah

fighters from al nusra front entered idlib on friday. many civilians are now trapped in their homes. for more we go to al jazeera's stephanie dekker live in beirut. give us the latest. what do we know about what is happening in idlib at the moment? >> well, syrian state television has confirmed that the army has moved out of the idlib city. they're regrouping in the south. this is a five-day battle, and some people will say it fell very quickly led by al nusra, yes, but it's a new coalition formed last week with different brigades in the free syrian army. so a concerted effort by that new coalition to push the army out. we've seen videos come out with security headquarters in the central square where there and also to say idlib has been a relatively safe haven throughout this war and according to a group observatory who monitors the war the airstrikes over the battle of the last five days. this has new to idlib. almost a million people living there, also a lot of internally displaced people seeking safety there. they're now fleeing. there

and al nusra front are made up of fighters. most never return home, but those who do face harsh prison sentences. we have this report from a recruiting ground for fighters. >> reporter: this man fought in syria for five months when he returned home he was sentenced to five years imprisonment. he was with a group allied with al nusra front. he was found guilty of joining a terrorist organization. his father said it came about when the armed groups fought each other. he called one day and said he wanted to come home. his mothers and siblings insisted it be returned he said he wanted to come back because of free syrian army and al nusra front were fighting each other and decided he wanted to fight for free. >> pt southern departure shocked his family. it was through facebook from his home that he connected with the syrian fighter. he used moneys his parents had given him, paid fees to buy a plane ticket. from there he got to syria, when he returned to jordan he was arrested at the airport. more that 2,000 jordanian fighters in syr

he was with a rebel group allied with al-nusra front. last september a jordanian court found him guilty of joining a terrorist organization. his father says he came back once the armed group started fighting each other. >> he called one day and said he wanted to come home. his mother and siblings had been insisting that he return. he said he wanted to come back because the different rebel groups like the free syrian army and al-nusra front were fighting each other and he decided he wasn't willing to die for free for a purpose other than jihad against the syrian government. >> he had shocked his family through facebook from his home that he connected with a syrian fighter. he used money his parents had given him to pay his university fee to say buy a plane ticket the turkey. from there he got into syria. when he returned to jordan, he was arrested at the airport. although more 2,000 fighters come from across the country one third of from zarka the most from any single area. >> it is the hometown of former al-qaeda al zarqawi. it's been ho

they died fighting al-qaeda's affiliates in aleppo. a few days ago, the nusra front declared all-out war on the group, accusing it of killing and kidnapping its fighters, a charge the u.s -- backed group denies. the movement has decided to disband. in a statement, a spokesman said the syrian military began to advance on several front lines because of the opposition's in-fighting, as long as it remained, it would be a target for al-nusra. >> the fighting in aleppo was not the first confrontation. al-nusra pushed the movement from the neighboring province. it is based in the north. it was the first group to receive sophisticated weapons with the u.s. but links with the west only earned it enemies on the ground. >> the fact that the movement no longer exists is a setback to u.s. plans to arm and train a rebel force. this is not the only obstacle, it is convincing that the force it wants to fight is isil. >> syrians in opposition controlled areas are worried. the rebel in-fighting coincides with government control of aleppo city. >> we call on the rebels to stop fi

al nusra front is one of the most powerful groups fighting to overthrow the syrian president, bashar al assad. >>> the american actor harrison ford is being treated at a hospital in los angeles after his vintage plane crash landed on a golf course. the 72-year-old is a very keen aviator. he was flying the plane himself when he reported engine trouble, just after he'd taken off from santa monica airport. he's reported to have clipped a tree or two, as well as he tried to land the plane. >> reporter: at first, it looked bad. harrison ford being helped by paramedics, after being lifted out of the small vintage plane. but it had been the perfect emergency landing, clipping a few treetops before standing gcoming to a standstill on the eighth hole. >> he's going to land on the golf course. >> patient was in moderate condition, alert and conscious and breathing and was transported to a local hospital. >> reporter: air accident investigators have already arrived on the scene, and will be trying to establish what went wrong. he'd just taken off from the nearby santa monica airport, when he sta

according to our terrorism analyst, the nusra front has not confirmed abu humam al-shami's death. >> nusra front did not issue any communiquÉ or statement saying that he was killed, and usually they do very quickly when their -- one of their commanders is dead. if he was targeted, he was wounded at least three days ago so nothing to do with the attack on the intelligence building that we saw in aleppo. which was an action of the group -- what we should know, some told me he was wounded, and he might have died because of his wounds. this morning, i was told he might be still alive and it is only rumors. we should focus on one thing there is no official statement done by nusra staying -- saying that he died in this attack. we know he might be wounded with one of his companions, an even more high-ranking official of kurdish origins. but because of the coalition -- but it is surely because of the coalition strike at least three days ago and not because of the strike of the regime yesterday. >> tell us a bit more about abu humam al-shami and what this means for al-nusra moving forward. >>

it's led by the al-qaeda affiliated al nusra front. but there are other groups working together. they say to liberate idlib something that they have now achieved. syrian state television said that the syrian army has regrouped to the south of the city, and they'll continue to fight what they call terrorists. it is an ongoing battle. we've seen videos up loaded on the internet where they're attacking a statue of the president's father where they're pulling down posters of president. they're taking down the syrian flag usually significant images in a city that has been under government control for the majority of this role, and was functioning as a relatively normalcy compared to what has been happening in the rest of the cities. we've seen civilians fleeing over the last father days. what is new the government was carrying ute airstrikes to try to keep it. this was once a safe haven for civilians, they are now having to flee that area. where are they going to go? many people will tell you they don't know. >> what are the implications for the syrian regime and it's control across t

the fight was undertaken by a newly formed coalition, led by the al nusra front, and includes other groups jazeera spoke to a fighter in the city. >> translation: this is the main reason for an advance in idlib city. rebels got rid of the names. there was no names. all are fighting under the one name. >> celebrating in front of the building fighters were there in victory. the videos kick to make it on to the internet. this one shows fight ertion return home reyinted with family. close to a million live in idlib. thousands have fled. air strikes have been carried out, unprecedented in the area. because it was in government hands, it was seen as a safe haven. syrian state television aired this footage, saying it was regrouping. for now, there doesn't appear to be a lot of concern. the fighters revelling in a takeover of this city. idlib is the second provincial capital to fall. the first is rafa. and that is the capital of fighters (longing to islamic state of iraq and levant. the fight took four days. it's a huge blow to moral. >> former u.s. diplomat hilary mann lef et said capturing idlib

. >>> a coalition led by the al nusra front has captured the northern section of idlib. stefanie dekker has the story. >> the city of idlib has been under the syrian government through most of the war but after days of fighting it is the rebels who are now in charge. led by the al nusra front an al qaeda affiliate, al jazeera spoke to a fighter with them in the city. >> translator: alfattah is the main reason for advance in the idlib city. there are no names all rebels are fighting under the one name of gish alphash al al fatah. >> this one appears to show fighters reuniting at home. after years ton battlefield. now we're told thousands have fled during this recent offensive. air strikes have been carried out in the last four days unprecedented in this area because it's been aired this footage of the syrian army and sair its forcessay its force he are regrouping. there doesn't seem to be too much concern the fighters aring being fighting this city. >> islamic state of iraq and the levant, the fight for idlib took four days and that's a huge blow to morale to the syrian a

this fight was undertaken by a newly formed coalition led by the al nusra front, around al quaeda affiliate. al jazeera talks to a fighter in the city. >> . >> all levels of fighting is under one name. >>reporter: celebrating in front of the governor's building fighters killed themselves in victory. this appears to show fighters returning home reuniting with their families after what they say is years on the battle field. geographically the city is hugely significant. it connects the roads from the south to aleppo further east and borders turkey to the east. close to a million people lived here including many forced to leave their homes elsewhere. now we're told thousands have fled during this recent offensive. air strikes have been carried out in the last four days unprecedented in this area because it had been in government hands. it was seen as a relatively safe haven throughout this war. for now, there doesn't appear to be a lot of concern here. the fighters are too busy revelling in their takeover of this significant city. it's the second provincial capital to fall out of government ha

this fight was under taken by a coalition led by the al nusra front, an al-qaeda affiliate. al jazeera spoke to a fighter in the city. >> the main reason for our advance in idlib city. there are no names all rebels are fighting under the one name offal fat at of al fattah. >> this appears to show fighters returning home reunited with their families after they say years on the battlefield. geographically idlib is hugely significant. it also connects the roam from ham in the south aleppo in the east and borders turkey to the north. close to a million people live in idlib plus many who have left their homes elsewhere. now thousands have left this recent offensive. airstrikes have been carried out unprecedented in this area because it had been in government hands. idlib was seen as a relatively safe haven throughout this war. syrian state television with this image saying they are fighting terrorists. >> idlib is the second capital to fall. the fight for idlib took four days these a huge blow to the morale of the syrian army. >> afghan's president ashraf ghani said he wants afgh

. >> the al nusra front has captured the northern city of idlib. it is the second capital to be taken by the rebels. >> the syrian army is gone. and opposition fighters are now in control here. the city of idlib has been under the syrian government for most of this war. but after days of fighting it is the rebels who are now in charge. this fight was under taken by a newly formed coalition led by the al nusra front an al-qaeda affiliate and contains other groups. al jazeera spoke with a fighter in the city. >> al fattah is the main reason for the advance in idlib city. rebels have gotten rid of their names. all rebels are fighting under the one name of al fattah. >> celebrating in front of the governor's building, fighters film themselves in victory. this shows fighters returning home reuniting with their families after what they say is years on the battlefield. geographically idlib is significant. it connects the road from hama in the south to aleppo in the east and borders turkey to the north. close to a million people lived in idlib including ma

fighters from the al qaeda al nusra front captured four cost soldiers. they were taken hostage after a military helicopter. this video you were about to see shows the crash. state tv reports that the aircraft experiences technical problems trying to make a landing. the rebel fighters claim they shot it down. >> by this time form we should have the first official candidate. it will be the first high profile candidate on either side of the aisle to throw a hat in the ring. cruz is from texas bon in canada, the second of a cuban immigrant. if he wins he'll be the first hispanic candidate. he's been a candidate for the past two years, before that he was solicitor-general for the state of texas under then governor rick perry. much of the of support comes from the tea party. he's been at odds over a hard-line stance. michael shure has a look at what cruz will face in the next year and a half. despite what it seems like there's no one running for president in 2016. that is all going to change tomorrow when texas republican senator ted cruz announces the preside

you find al-nusra which is affiliated to al-qaeda focused on winning hearts and minds. it has never, you know, until recently tried to impose itself on or its ideology on the people. so they provide services they do all this kind of stuff because they want to encourage people to like them. and even in the beginning they didn't want to announce that they're part of al-qaeda, because they didn't want to -- they didn't want the name to shape people's in the beginning they wanted to say i that we are a syrian group. so zarqawi went to iraq after the iraq war and his debate and his vision about shia started to slowly shaven the discourse -- shape the discourse in iraqi. you know, iraqis, shia and sunnis have always lived together. they have the same family, shia and sunni. after the iraq war, you know, things started to change. and the moment zarqawi finds a huge opportunity in that, and you know, there was a lot of differences between al-qaeda and zarqawi at the time. and although he pledged allegiance to osama bin laden, there was some tension between the two until al-qaed

now in syria groups led by the al-qaeda linked al-nusra front have the city adlib and taken after fives of intense fighting and it's the second provincial city to be fully controlled by the rebels and al-racca is under the control of the islamic state and levante and stephanie decker is following that story for us in beirut. there had been an intense battle over the past few days for adlib, steph. >> reporter: it has and some people will tell you they are surprised at how quickly it has fallen but as you said it's led by the al-nusra front but this is a new coalition formed last week including different groups and elements of free syrian army come together to push. this is significant, hugely significant really because it had been under the control of government forces throughout this war. this is a city that was functioning. it was a city where people were being paid their salaries. a city also where a lot of internally displaced people were seeking shelter. it was a relative safe haven throughout this war and really the pictures we are seeing coming out of course is very difficult fo

. >> definitely by al-nusra it is not something we discover or we try to promote. they use the same books to indoctrine ate the people. >> rose: how about turkey. >> turkey let's say is muslim brotherhood fanatics. doesn't mean that he's a member but he's a fanatic. >> rose: president erdogan. >> muslim brotherhood fanatic. and he's somebody who is suffering from political megalomania and thinks he is becoming the sultan of the newera of the 21st century. >> rose: you think he could stop the border if he wanted to? >> yeah, of course definitely. he doesn't only ignore the terrorists from coming to syria he supports them logistically and militarily directly. on daily basis. and if you take the example of kobani the city where the kurds were fighting isis and where the campaign started the military campaign, the american military campaign started there, it took them four months to liberate that small city not only because the air strikes were coming but because of the direct support of the turks to isis. >> rose: they were supporting them directly? >> directly. direc

several opposition groups, including the al-qaeda linked al-nusra front say they've joint forces to tryo take over the city in syria's northwest. activist video purports to show rebel fighters getting ready for battle. regime forces reportedly closed off the city in preparation for the attack, stopping residents from getting in and out while conferring command centers. taking the city would be an important victory for rebel fighters, allowing them to cut off vital government supply lines. to the east, government forces are targeting isil controlled areas. isil fighters control large parts of syria and iraq and after meeting with syrian president bashar al assad iraq's foreign minister said more will be done. >> there is cooperation, but we are looking forward to having a higher level of cooperation. what we have in common needs more coordination and we hope that this visit would be a first step towards more coordination. >> iraq, were you ever syria's main allies is also a key player for the u.s. in the night against isil. iraq troops are working with the u.s. led coalition and it's bom

but it's under the command of the al nusra front the al-qaeda affiliate in syria. the fighting took four days for the syrian army to move out of the city. many people are quite surprised that it took so little time. this is the second provincial capital to force the opposition. the first one is under the islamic state in iraq and the levant and it's also hugely significant in terms of geography. to the north you've got turkey, and to the west it lies on a highway to hama to the south to aleppo. it gives access to that whole area. hugely significance. the people asking, we're seeing videos of civilians fleeing. idlib has been a relatively safe haven throughout this four-year war. we're now seeing airstrikes taking place. so now we know this fight will be taken back to idlib and many people are fleeing that city as well. >> what does this mean for the fight? for the other key cities like hama. >> that's right. well what people will tell you is that it offer as way in. it offers more access. supply routes have been cut for the army. it could be that this new coalition

and that's by isis, by al qaeda by al nusra. it's not something we discover or we try to promote.t's very -- i mean their book -- they use the same books to indoctrinate the people. charlie: what about turkey? president assad: turkey let's say it's about erdogan. his muslim brotherhood fanatics. it doesn't mean that he is a member. but he's a fanatic. charlie: president erdogan is -- president assad: is a muslim brotherhood fanatic. and he's somebody who's suffering from political megalomania. and he thinks that he is becoming the sultan of the new era of the 21st century. charlie: you think he could stop the border if he wanted to? president assad: yeah, of course. definitely. he doesn't only ignore the terrorists from coming to syria. he supports them, logistically and militarily. directly. on a daily basis. and if you take the example of the city where the kurds were fighting isis and the military campaign started, it took them four months to liberate that small city. not only because the airstrikes happened but because of the direct support of turks for isis. charlie: they wer

the al nusra front declared all-out war on the group accusing it of kidnapping and killing its fighters. nevertheless, the movement has decided to disband. in a statement the syrian military began to advance on several front lines in recent days because of the opposition's infighting. it would be be a target and a distraction for the opposition. fighting in aleppo was not the first confrontation withal news is a. it had pushed hazzem out of idlib. hazzem is based in the north. it's links with the west only earned it enemies on the ground. the fact that it has movement no longer exists is a set back to arm and train a rebel force. but this is not the only obstacle that the obama administration faces. it's finding it hard to convince rebels that the force it wants to train will be used to fight the islamic state in iraq and the levant. for the opposition the priority should be fighting the government. syrians and opposition-controlled areas are worried. the rebel infighting coincides with government efforts to control aleppo and cut off supply lines to turkey. >> we call on the rebels to

the free syrian army and the syrian revolutionary's front al qaeda, and its off shoot including al nusrais committee and its crimes against those unable to leave against syria. we know and this was in the testimony by the deputy assistant secretary clements. half of its prewar population in syria has been displaced. half of a country, gone, displaced. and that is almost without precedent, anywhere in the world. the euro mediterranean human rights network reported in late 2013 that at least 6,000 women have been reported being raped by one armed group or another. the genuine figure was likely much higher due to underreporting. in fact the international rescue committee reported two years ago that the primary reason for syrians to flee their country has been fear of rape. the various armed groups terrorizing people in syria operate with impunity. syria's not a party to the rome statute, the international criminal court has no jurisdiction over these human rights violators although there could be a referral if they were so inclined from the security council. even if the icc could get involv

he was with a group allied to al nusra front. he was found guilty of joining a terrorist organization. his father said he came back when the armed groups started to fight each other. >> translation: he called one day and said he wanted to come home. his mothers and siblings insisted he return. he said he wanted to come back because the different rebel groups, like the free syrian army, and al nusra front were fighting each other and he decided he was not willing to die for free for a purpose other that jihad. >> the departure shocked his family. it was through facebook that he connected with a syrian fighter. he used the money his parents gave him to pay university tees to buy a plane ticket. from there he got into syria, when he returned to jordan he was arrested at the airport. more than 2,000 jordanian fighters in syria come from across the country, a third are from sarka, the most of any area. sarka is home to other fighters. whilst poverty and unemployment have fushed religious men who feel marginalized to leave for foreign

led by the al nusra front and al qaeda affiliate, and includes other groups. al jazeera spoke to a fighter in the city. >> this is the main reason for the advance in idlib city. rebels got rid of the brigades name. there are no names. all rebels are fighting under the one name. celebrating in front of the building fighters fill themselves with victory. the video is quick to make it on to the internet. this one shows fighters returning home reunited with families. close to a million people live in idlib, including many forced to leave their homes. now we are told thousands fled during this offensive. air strikes have been carried out. unprecedented in the area because it had been in government hands. it was seen as a safe haven throughout the war. syrian state television aired this footage saying the forces were regrouping to fight terrorists. for now there doesn't appear to be concern, the fighters revelling in the takeover of the city. >> idlib is the second capital to fall out of government hands. this is the capital of fighters belonging to the state of ira

if fight is under taken by newly formed coalition led by the al nusra front and includes other groups. al jazeera spoke to a fighter in the city. >> the main reason for advance in the city. rebels got rid of brigades names. all rebels are fighting under the one name of al fattah. >> celebrating in front of the governor's building, fighters are in victory. they make it quick to make it on the superintendent. this shows fighters returning home reuniting with their families after what they say is years on the battlefield. idlib is significant. it connects the home from hama to aleppo and borders turkey to the north. close to a million people lived in idlib including many who were forced to leave their homes. now we're told that thousands have fled the recent offensive. airstrikes have been carried out over the last four days unprecedented in this area because it had been in government hands. idlib has been seen as a relatively safe heavien during this war. forces are regrouping in the south of idlib to fight what it calls oh terrorists but for now there does not seem to be learn here wit

in syria, the northern city of idlib has been captured by the al qaeda of linked al-nusra front. idlib is the second provincial capital to be controlled by the group. syrian government forces say separate rebels groups joined al nusra front to create a larger front >>> a u.s. specialist operation unit is not getting the equipment requested. troops going to war zones asked for software made by a silicon valley company. the pentagon has been denying the request and insists they use flawed software. top military officials responded by saying they have questions about the software and haven't denied the request. authorities have released details about the mental health of a pilot that crashed his plane into the french alps. >> and protesters pack the streets of indianapolis to protest a law they say discriminates against gays. >>> new information tonight about the germanwings plane crash in the french alps. german authorities say there's no indication that co-pilot andreas lubitz was motivated by terror its. [ singing ] -- terrorists [ singing ] >>> today, near the crash site the fam

and the al qaeda al nusra front don't expand their war fronts across the border. this military post is a few kilometres from where armed groups staked their positions. they are dangerous, they work in small groups and they use covers like farmers, and shepherds. so it's hard at the beginning to distinguish between civilians and terrorists. >> for now, the lebanese army is making gains - one strategic post at a time. the stakes are high. lebanon has its own share of political trouble and does not want to get sucked into broader sectarian conflict in the region. >> it's not about infiltrating or crossing the borders inside the lebanese territory. it could be also again, a hybrid conflict creating instabilities. >> military leaders say that while lebanon may be divided politically, it's trying to put on a united front when it comes to protecting boundaries. >> mark lyons is a retired army major and al jazeera contributor and joins us now. there's so much to talk about in the regions that they are taking notice of. let's go back to u.n. how close are we to full-blown

. >>> armed groups of isil and the al-nusra front contain thousands of jordan fighters.spondent reports from one of the main recruiting grounds for fighters. >> reporter: this 19-year-old fought in syria for five months and when he returned home to jordan, he was sentenced to five years in prison. a court found him guilty of joining a terrorist organization. his father said he came back once the armed groups started fighting each other. >> translator: he called one day and said he wanted to come home. his mother and siblings had been insisting that he return. he said he wanted to come back because the different rebel groups like the free syrian army and al-nusra front were fighting each other, and he decided he wasn't willing to die for free. >> reporter: the sudden departure had shocked his family. it was through facebook from his home that he connected with a syrian fighter. he used money his parents had given him to pay his university fees to buy a plane ticket to turkey. from there he got into syria, but when he returned to jordan he was arrested at the airport. alth

the fight was undertaken by a newly formed coalition led by al nusra front and al qaeda affiliate and includes other groups. al jazeera spoke to a fighter in the city. >> translation: it is the reason for the advance. we got rid of the groups. they are all fighting under the one name. >> reporter: celebrating in front of the governor's building. this one shows fighters returning home reunited with families after what they say is years on the battlefield. close to a million lived in idlib, including many forced to leave their homes. we are told thousands fled during the offensive. air strikes have been carried out in the last four days unprecedented because it had been in government hands. it was seen as a safe haven throughout the war. >> syrian television aired this footage. and said the group is fighting terrorists and regrouping. there doesn't appear to be a lot of concern, fighters revelling in the takeover in the city. idlib is the second government to fall. the fight for idlib took four days, and that's a huge blow to moral of the syrian army >>> tunisian forces kill nine fighte

qaeda linked al nusra front. in syria's northwest. activist video purports to show getting ready for battle. regime forces reportedly closed off the city in preparation for attack, stopping residents from getting in and out while transferring command centers. taking idlib would be be an important victory for government fighters, allowing them to cut off supply lines. to the east indarazor, rebel fighters control large portions of iraq. and after meeting with bashar al-assad, more will are done. >> translator: there is cooperation but we are looking forward to having a high level of cooperation. what we have in common needs more coordination and we hope that this visit would be a first step towards more coordination. >> iraq one of syria's main allies, is also a key player for the u.s. in the fight against i.s.i.l. iraqi troops are working with the u.s. led coalition and its bombing campaign. but while baghdad acts as a go- go-between between washington and fight for control over this strategic city is far from over. kim vanel, al jaze

several groups including the al qaeda-linked al nusra front say they have joined forces. video shows fighters getting ready for battle. regime forces closed the city in preparation of the attack stopping residents getting in or out, whilst transferring command centers. >> taking idlib would be a victory for rebel fighters allowing them to cut off vital government supply lines. to the east government forces are targetting i.s.i.l. controlled areas. fighters control large parts of syria and iraq and after meeting with the syrian president, iraq's foreign minister says more will be done. >> there is cooperation, but we are looking forward to having a higher level of cooperation. what we have in common needs more coordination and we hope the visit would be a first step towards more coordination. >> reporter: iraq, one of syria's main allies is a key player for the u.s. in the fight against i.s.i.l. iraqi troops are working with the u.s.-led coalition and its bombing led campaign. while baghdad act as a go between, the u.s. ruled out cooperating directly with the syrian regime

. >> the coalition is led by al nusra front, an al qaeda-affiliate. having taken a strategic city out of the government's hands, the rebels are turning to local politics. >> thankfully we have the city and the job is to protect the institution and civilian pretty. >> here a poster of a man they are trying to unseat. >> the president is being ripped off the local government building. bashar al-assad insists the war is not about land but winning hearts and minds and says many support him or he wouldn't have held on to power this long. >> we cannot win hearts or minds, we cannot sustain four years in that position as a government and me as president, while the rest of the world creating powers are against me and my people are against me. >> after four violent years many find it difficult to know who to believe. especially when videos like this are posted online. an opposition organization accuses syrian soldiers of carrying out revenge i facts in idlib. these are said to be the victims. of the people that suffered i.s.i.s. bashar al-assad says it's all a

the coalition is led by al nusra front, an al qaeda affiliate.ing taken a strategic city out of the government's hands, the rebels are trning to local -- turning to local politics. >> translation: thankfully we have the city and our job is to protect the public institutions and civilian poverty. >> reporter: here a poster of the man they are trying to unseat. president bashar al-assad is being ripped off the building. bashar al-assad insists the war is not about land but winning hearts and minds, and says many syrian support him, or he wouldn't have been able to hold on to power this long. >> we can not win the heart of minds killing syrians, or sustain four years in that position as a government and he as president while the rest of the world, most of the world, the great and regional powers are against me and my people against me. >> reporter: after four violent years many in syria and abroad will find it difficult to know who to believe. especially when videos like this are posted online. an opposition organization accuses soldiers of carrying