Syrian rebels divided in fight against Assad

Rival groups with different ideologies battle for dominance in al-Raqqa, and for the revolution's future.

For the first time, Al Jazeera has gained access to a frontline view of the stand-off outside al-Raqqa city in northern Syria. Opposition snipers from the Ahrar al-Sham Brigade, a group that has a reputation for some of the fiercest combat fighters in Syria’s war, are in the forefront of the fight against President Bashar al-Assad's government. Al-Sham wants an Islamic state in Syria and shares ideology with groups like Al Nusra Front and the Islamic State of Iraq. That puts Al-Sham ideologically apart from the Free Syria Army, creating a division that is holding back the revolution. Al Jazeera's Andrew Simmons reports from al-Raqqa.

Source: Al Jazeera