Syrian Rebels Form 'National Army' with Turkish Support

Haytham Afisi, one of the commanders of the Syrian opposition groups, announced that Syrian rebels are forming a 'National Army'. According to Reuters, Colonel Haytham Afisi stated on Sunday, August 21, 'We are still at the beginning. We have many problems, but we are trying to solve them.' Haytham Afisi, who commands the Syrian 'National Army', told Reuters in the city of Azaz in northern Syria that he has instructed the militants to refrain from indiscriminate shooting and to wear uniforms. According to Haytham Afisi, the forces are ordered to cooperate with the newly formed military police and to avoid group competition. Reuters writes that the effort to form a 'National Army' by the rebels supported by Turkey is one of the main measures for the rebels to protect the last areas under their control. Bashar al-Assad, the President of Syria, who is supported by Iran and Russia, has promised to reclaim 'every inch' of Syria from the opposition. Reuters reported that several members of the 'National Army', who participated in the end-of-training ceremony, were injured on August 14 due to mortar attacks. Colonel Afisi attributed this attack to 'the enemies of the revolution', either foreign or domestic, and stated that the perpetrator of the attack has been identified but he refrained from disclosing their identity. Reuters notes that the Syrian 'National Army' has about 35,000 troops. The news agency also mentioned that many previous attempts to unite Syrian rebels had failed, but this time, due to the presence of Turkish forces, this effort may be successful. The Syrian government has described the presence of Turkish forces in its territory as occupation.