Emir of Nusra Front in Qalamoun Says Damascus Bombing Clear Message to Hizbullah
Abou Malek al-Shami, the emir of the al-Qaida-linked al-Nusra Front in al-Qalamoun, considered on Tuesday that the blast which targeted a bus carrying Lebanese Shiite pilgrims in Damascus a “clear message for those who are assaulting Sunnis.”
“Hizbullah played a substantial role in supporting the vicious Nusairi regime and shed the blood of Sunnis in Damascus... our response had to be brutal,” al-Shami said in a post via his Facebook page.
He slammed “certain sides that are describing the assault as terrorist and turning a blind eye to the Iranian Hizbullah crimes against the Sunnis in the Sham.”
“Those sides are aiding Hizbullah by oppressing (the Syrians) who were compelled to flee their country to Lebanon and other areas.”
A blast ripped through a bus carrying Lebanese Shiite pilgrims in Damascus on Sunday, killing at least nine people in an attack claimed by al-Nusra Front.
Al-Shami also called on Sunnis in Lebanon and Syria to “avenge” those who contributed to the genocide in the Sham.
The bombing underscored the sectarian nature of Syria's four-year war, and how neighboring Lebanon has become ensnared in the complex conflict.
Al-Nusra accused the bus passengers of being Hizbullah fighters, claiming it was a suicide bombing, while Syrian state media and al-Manar TV both said the blast was caused by a bomb placed on the bus.
The Nusra Front claim spotlighted why the pilgrims were likely targeted: as revenge for Hizbullah fighters defending Syrian President Bashar Assad.
Hizbullah's direct participation in the Syrian conflict has prompted hard-line Sunni radicals to lash out against Shiite communities in Lebanon.
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