However, Pentagon officials appear to be distancing themselves from that moniker.
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Nusra Front, loyal to the successors of Osama bin Laden, and Islamic State are the two most powerful forces fighting the Syrian army and its allies in Syria’s civil war.
Today, reports out of Syria suggest that the group immediately took its weapons and vehicles to al-Qaeda territory and turned them all over to them.
The first trained group, made up of 54 fighters, was wiped out by the Nusra Front soon after it returned to Syria in July. The groups have fought each other since a split in 2013 largely due to a power struggle between leaders.
The Pentagon said Wednesday that there is no indication that any of the second class of U.S.-trained moderate Syrian rebels have defected to the al-Qaeda Syrian affiliate, al-Nusra Front, contrary to press and social media reports.
In this file image posted on a Twitter account of Syria’s…
Sources told regional experts that fighters from Division 30, the first faction to graduate from the U.S. train and equip program based in Turkey, betrayed the USA and gave their weapons to Nusra Front on Monday. The report made no mention of a defecting officer.
“We do have contact, we have communications with members of the group and our understanding from being in touch…is that all are present and accounted for, as are their weapons”, Davis said.
Adding to the confusion, the officer, identified by Division 30 as Anas Ibrahim Abu Zayed, posted a statement on his Facebook page where he is identified as Anas Jalo, said he is no longer with Division 30 but works independently in the northern province of Aleppo. The group acknowledged losing contact with the officer but denied any contacts with al-Qaida’s affiliate.
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The program to train and equip fighters on the ground aligned with the USA aim of ridding the country of ISIS has been pilloried on Capitol Hill. Sen.
