Al Qaeda splinter group executes 21 in Syria - report

BEIRUT (Reuters) - An al Qaeda splinter group in Syria executed at least 21 people including fighters from rival rebel groups and their relatives, a monitoring group said on Friday, an incident that could worsen infighting among enemies of President Bashar al-Assad.

The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, which has attracted many foreign militants into its ranks, is a small but powerful fighting force in Syria that emerged from the Sunni Islamist insurgency in neighbouring Iraq. In Syria, it has alienated many civilians and opposition activists by imposing harsh rulings against dissent in areas it controls.