Islamic State seizes more territory in Aleppo province

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on Wednesday that the Islamic State (IS), formerly known as the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria or ISIS, has seized several towns and villages from rival Islamist groups in the province of Aleppo, paving the way for further progress in the direction of the West, Al-Dustour newspaper reported.

The British-based Observatory said the fundamentalist movement’s gains include controlling the towns of Turkman Bareh and Akhtaren, 50 kilometres northeast of the city of Aleppo. IS already controls large areas in the north and east of Syria.

The Observatory said at least 40 fighters were killed in the clashes.

IS expanded in Syria after it took control of the city of Mosul in Iraq in June and announced the establishment of a caliphate in the areas it controls in an attempt to redraw the borders of the Middle East region.

Diplomats and opponents say the Syrian government launched attacks on the towns under the control of the organisation after its militants moved from Iraq and seized around a third of the area of the country.

The organisation has tightened its grip on areas under its control in Syria, including the city of Raqqa on the Euphrates River, which is considered a stronghold of the IS in Syria.

According to the Observatory, which relies upon a network of observers, battles took place between IS fighters and Syrian government forces near the military airport in Raqqa, which is the only site still controlled by the government in the region.

The observatory said the movement carried out two crucifixions in Deir Al-Zour last night, which increases the number of people executed by IS in the past few days to 27 victims.

The movement’s progress in the province of Aleppo, in northeastern Syria, comes as part of its effort to control larger areas near the border with Turkey.

A Syrian activist from Akhtarein said through his social networking account on Twitter that two people were killed while fighting the movement, including a 16-year-old boy.

It was not possible to verify the authenticity of the report.

The Observatory is predicting that the towns of Azaz and Mare’ are the next targets for IS. The Al-Qaeda linked Al-Nusra Front and other Islamic groups withdrew from the region in June.

Meanwhile, Nick Merrill, a spokesperson for former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, said that she contacted President Barack Obama on Wednesday to clarify controversial remarks she made during an interview with The Atlantic weekly last Sunday, when she said the US’s decision not to intervene early in the civil war in Syria was a mistake.

Merrill said in a statement that Clinton contacted President Obama to confirm that she was not trying to attack him or his policies or leadership.

The spokesperson also pointed out that Clinton and Obama have always differed over several issues, including the enormous challenge posed by Syria, which she has explained on several occasions.