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Executive Summary for May 5th

To give you an overview of the latest news, we’ve organized the latest Syrian developments in a curated summary.

Published on May 5, 2014 Read time Approx. 3 minutes

More Than 60,000 Flee Syria Rebel Infighting

Reuters reports that fighting between Islamist groups in eastern Syria has led more than 60,000 people to evacuate their homes.

“The British-based Observatory said the Nusra Front had taken over control of the town of Abreeha from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS), a former al Qaeda affiliate formally disowned by the group this year,” the wire says. “At least 62 fighters had been killed in around four days of clashes in the area, which have emptied Abreeha and the towns of al-Busayrah and al-Zir, whose populations total over 60,000.

“The Observatory, an anti-Assad group which monitors violence in Syria through a network of sources, said Islamist fighters had burned houses and a young girl had been killed by mortar fire during the fighting. ISIS and the Nusra Front have clashed repeatedly over oilfields and strategic positions in Deir al-Zor, a desert province bordering Iraq.”

Rebel Commander Reportedly Kidnapped by Forces Linked to al-Qaida

Nabih Bulos of the Los Angeles Times reports that a well-known rebel military commander in southern Syria has been kidnapped by an Islamist faction with links to Al Qaida.

“Col. Ahmad Nemeh, long the head of the U.S.-backed Free Syrian Army in Syria’s southern Dara province, was taken by the Nusra Front, according to opposition advocates. Details of his abduction were not available, but some accounts said other commanders were seized as well,” Bulos writes.

The incident occurred after the Nusra Front issued a statement labeling Nemeh a ‘criminal, [and] traitor to God’ and warning that he would be ‘held accountable and pursued by the lions’ of the Al Qaeda-linked group. ‘They are saying he is wanted on several charges and will appear before a court of Islamic law,’ confirmed Abu Majd Zoubi, a media activist in southern Syria.

Assad to Face Two Others in Syrian Presidential Poll

Syria’s Supreme Constitutional Court has announced that Bashar al-Assad will face two other candidates in the June 3 presidential elections. The court says that 21 other candidates were “ineligible” to run.

“Assad, who is seeking a third seven-year term, will face Hassan bin Abdullah al-Nouri, a 54-year-old lawmaker from Damascus, and 43-year-old Maher Abdul-Hafiz Hajjar, a lawmaker from the northern city of Aleppo,” the AP reports. “Opposition activists and Western countries have condemned the elections as a sham as voting is expected to be held only in government-controlled territory.”

The younger Assad came to power following the 2000 death of his father Hafez. Previous elections have been by referendum, with the Assads the only candidates and voters casting ballots for yes or no.

“In March, the Syrian parliament approved an electoral law opening the door — at least in theory — to other candidates. The new law, however, placed conditions effectively ensuring that almost no opposition figures would be able to run. It states that any candidate must have lived in Syria for the past 10 years and cannot have any other citizenship.”

Syria’s Historic Crusader Castle Damaged by War

Journalists from the AP have reconstructed the battle for Crac des Chevaliers “after talking to Syrian soldiers and local residents during a rare trip by Western media to the castle since its capture by government troops in March.”

“It is like many of the country’s most significant historical sites, caught in the crossfire in a conflict that activists say has killed more than 150,000 people,” the paper writes. “Some sites have been turned into military bases. Shelling has smashed historic mosques, churches and markets. Looters have stolen artifacts from excavations and museums.”

Suggested Reads from Our Editorial Team

Reuters: Turkey Builds Wall in Token Effort to Secure Border with Syria

LA Times: In Syria, Activists in Raqqa Try to Confront Militant Islamist Group

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