Militants from the so-called Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL) and al-Qaeda’s al-Nusra Front, near Deir ez-Zor in eastern Syria, were engaged in heavy fighting after the ISIL managed to capture at least seven villages in the region.

According to Al-Alam reporter, ISIL gains came after a militant group called ‘Council of Mujahedin’ retreated from the region in an unexpected move and left it to the ISIL.

More than 120 militants were killed in the fighting and the number is increasing as the conflict is still going on, according to the report.

Al-Nusra, which is fighting for al-Qaeda in Syria, has reported losing one of its top commanders, Abu Faisal al-Sharei, in fighting with ISIL.

Hassan al-Hassan, a Syrian political analyst, told Al-Alam that the main reason behind deadly infighting between is that they have been spying on each other for a long time, and they have lost their trust.

ISIL entered Syria’s war to fight for al-Qaeda, but it was later replaced with al-Nusra Front by al-Qaeda’s leader Aymen Zawahiri.

ISIL and al-Nusra share same radical beliefs and are both known for their brutal crimes against Syrian people and soldiers throughout their extremist war on Syria.

Syria sank into war in March 2011, when pro-reform protests turned into a massive insurgency following the intervention of Western and regional states.

According to reports more than 150,000 people have been killed and millions displaced in the turmoil.

SHI/SHI