Syria's civil war has sparked off a series of internal wars between the various stakeholders for the very essence of the global jihad movement, a report said.
Islamist militants who stepped up to help the Free Syrian Army in toppling President Bashar al-Assad's regime have now ended up fighting not just Assad but the rebels too, reported Fox News.
At the centre of the battle are two terrorist outfits, Jabhat al-Nusra, Al Qaeda's regional affiliate and the newly emerged Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) which was disowned by the Al Qaeda earlier. The two are now fighting each other to attract new recruits to serve the cause of global jihad by proving the purity of their motives.
They are also eyeing the loyalty of other jihadist organizations that will enable them to expand their reach. The tussle is not just fracturing the global jihad movement but is also posing the biggest challenge to Al Qaeda since its leader Osama bin Laden was killed by the United States.
ISIS leader Al Baghdadi has been smarter in selling his version of global jihad to potential terrorists across the world unlike Al Nusra. The group has not just used the social media effectively but has also projected itself as an ambitious group that wants to spread the Islamic state all the way to Lebanon. The vision has improved the standing of the group among other jihadi groups and foreign fighters who are now willing to join its ranks than Al Nusra's.
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The report said that there are several others who have not yet pledged their allegiance to any of the groups and are waiting to see who comes out on top.
However, the ISIS has definitely captured the top slot on ground with its advanced weaponry, military prowess and the money looted from Iraq's regional banks.
The militant outfit now faces hardened Kurdish fighters, the Iraqi Army, U.S. airstrikes, a developing international coalition and even Iran, which could stretch the group to its breaking point, the report said.
