Syrian opposition leader Riad Hijab reveals an international tendency to support armed opposition

The chairman of the High Committee of the Syrian negotiations, Riad Hijab, revealed an international approach to provide armed opposition forces with weapons and qualitative support under international supervision.

Hijab’s statements come two days ahead of the opening of the international meeting in Vienna to discuss the Syrian issue. They also come in conjunction with the meeting of representatives for 14 factions of the opposition to discuss the formation of a unified northern front along the lines of the southern front.

Today, a meeting of the International Syria Support Group will be hosted in Vienna, headed by US Secretary of State John Kerry and his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov, and devoted to implementing a ceasefire between Assad and rebel forces.

On the formation of a unified northern front in Syria’s north, where Aleppo’s northern countryside is witnessing daily battles between opposition armed groups and the Islamic State militant group, the leaders and representatives of 14 armed factions met to study the initiative. The opposition factions include Jaysh al-Islam, al-Sham Front, al-Fawj El-Awal, Jaysh al-Mujahideen, al-Ferka al-Shamaliah, and others. However, some prominent factions were absent from the meeting, such as Jaysh al-Nasr, al-Sham Legion and Ahrar al-Sham Movement, and others, according to alarabia.net.

The factions in the north seek to form a unified political body, a joint chief of staff and a unified military media entity.

Factions were able to elect a joint committee overseeing the final text of the rules and procedures governing the northern front.

That front, according to sources, aims to make unified military and political decisions, and achieve security cooperation, which will hopefully lead to achieving military advances in northern Syria.