Al-Qaida-linked militants withdraw from southern Damascus town

Al-Qaida-linked Nusra Front militants withdrew from a town in the southern countryside of the capital Damascus after days of clashes with a rival jihadist group, a monitoring group reported Thursday.

Groups of the Nusra Front withdrew from the town of Beit Sahem, located in the southern countryside of Damascus near the road to the international airport of Damascus, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

An unidentified Islamist group mediated the withdrawal of the Nusra fighters, after the group was engaged in battles with other rebel factions inside the town, said the Observatory.

Local press said recently the presence of the Nusra fighters in Beit Sahem had hindered the establishment of "reconciliation" in that area between the government and the rebel groups that wanted to establish a truce.

The Observatory said that 70 rebels escaped rebel-held areas in southern Damascus and surrendered themselves to the Syrian army with their light weaponry.

The UK-based watchdog group said the leader of the Anfal Brigade, which has recently been battling against the Nusra Front in southern Damascus, had capitalized on the rebel-on-rebel battles in southern Damascus and fled his position along with a number of his fighters earlier this week before surrendering to the Syrian army.

The Syrian army has recently waged an offensive against several rebel positions in the southern countryside of Damascus.

Syria's pro-government media outlets reported the surrender of hundreds of rebels last year as part of the reconciliation efforts the Ministry of National Reconciliation has undertaken to facilitate a cessation of hostilities with the rebels who also want to reconcile with the government. Endit