Some 43 Islamist groups joined together to form the Army of Islam (Jaysh al Islam) under the command of Sheikh Mohammed Zahran. Rebel forces are now said to control all of the Syrian border crossings into Iraq, as well as border crossings into Turkey and Jordan. Islamist brigades, including the Al Nusrah Front and Ahrar al Sham, helped take over the Jordan crossing. President Assad said Syria will abide by the UN resolution on the eradication of Syria’s chemical weapons arsenal. An OPCW official said the group “has no reason to doubt” the chemical weapons information provided by the regime. A regime airstrike in rebel-held Raqqah hit a high school, killing 12 people, most of them under the age of 18. Saudi Arabia wants to intensify support for the Syrian rebels.
