The al-Nusra Front has said it was
behind Thursday's bomb attacks in the Syrian capital, Damascus, the latest and
deadliest since the uprising in the country began in March 2011. The BBC News
website here profiles the shadowy jihadist group.
"We promised the regime in our last declaration to respond to its killing of
families, women, children and old men in a number of Syrian provinces, and here
we kept our promise," a distorted voice said in a video posted online.
"We tell this regime: Stop your massacres against the Sunni people. If not,
you will bear the sin of the Alawites. What is coming will be more calamitous,
God willing," it added, referring to heterodox sect of Shia Islam to which
President Bashar al-Assad and much of the ruling elite belongs.
Little is known about the shadowy Sunni jihadist group, which has also
claimed almost all the other bombings that have rocked the country, including
those in the capital in March and April.
Al-Nusra, which means "support" in Arabic, first appeared in January in its
own initially sporadic media output, which has developed considerably with
regular and increasing statements claiming attacks, and several well-produced
videos.
The first attack it claimed was against a military target in the
north-western city of Idlib, not far from the Turkish border.
Since then, the group has said it was behind the vast majority of bombings in
Syria, which are occurring with increasing frequency...
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-18048033