Al Qaeda chief urges jihadists to use guerrilla tactics in Syria
Al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahri has called on Syrian Sunni jihadists to wage guerrilla war against enemies ranging from Syrian President Bashar al Assad and his Iranian-backed allies to Western powers.
In an audio recording posted online on Sunday, Zawahri called for the rebels to be patient, saying they should be prepared for a long battle with the Western-led coalition in Iraq and Syria and Iranian-backed Shi'ites fighting alongside Syrian President Bashar al Assad's government.
"Our people in Sham (Syria) prepare yourselves for a long battle with the Crusaders and their allies the Shi'ites and Alawites," the successor to Osama bin Laden said.
Muslim Sunni militants consider Shi'ites and Alawites heretics.
Zawahri said jihadists were targeted by their enemies because they sought to impose Islamic rule in Syria, adding that the West and its allies were doing everything they could to prevent an "Islamic" wave that was sweeping the region.
