The head of Ansar al Sharia in Syria, which is affiliated with the Al Nusrah Front, said the rebel groups fighting in Douma, including the Free Syrian Army, all seek the creation of an Islamic state. He alleged that new fighting groups with Islamist names in Ghouta and Daraa are controlled by the US. Government troops clashed with the Al Nusrah Front in Qamishli, very close to the Turkish border. Government forces also battled rebels around Qusair near the Lebanese border and Daraa near the Jordanian border. UK scientists claim to have found traces of chemical weapon use in Syria.
