Al Qaeda in Syria attacks Western-backed rebels

BEIRUT (Reuters) - The Syrian arm of al Qaeda attacked a Western-backed rebel group near Aleppo on Thursday, the rebel group and an organisation monitoring the civil war said, threatening one of the few remaining pockets of the non-jihadist opposition.

The Nusra Front seized positions from the Hazzm movement west of Aleppo, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. The Nusra Front said it was forced to act after Hazzm detained two of its fighters and captured its weapons and offices.