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Reuters
BEIRUT
The leader of the Syrian Islamist rebel group Nusra Front said on Thursday it was cutting its ties with Al Qaeda to deny foreign powers including the United States and Russia a pretext to attack Syrians.
Listed as a terrorist organisation by the United States, the Nusra Front was excluded from a truce negotiated in February. Russia and the US are discussing closer coordination to fight the militia.
The group's leader, Abu Mohamad al Jolani, made the announcement in a video that was the first public pronouncement to show his face.
"We have stopped operating under the name of Nusra Front and formed a new body ... This new formation has no ties with any foreign party," he said, giving the group's new name as"Jabhat Fatah al Sham".
He said the step was being taken"to remove the excuse used by the international community ” spearheaded by America and Russia ” to bombard and displace Muslims in the Levant: that they are targeting the Nusra Front, which is associated with Qaeda".
He said the action would narrow differences with other rebel groups that are also fighting to topple Syrian President Bashar al Assad.
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29/07/2016
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