Syria’s al Qaeda leader warns West of retaliation for air strikes

Smoke rises from the Syrian Kurdish town of Kobani after an explosion as Islamic State militants advance on the town full of Syrian refugeees. Smoke rises from the Syrian Kurdish town of Kobani after an explosion as Islamic State militants advance on the town full of Syrian refugeees. Photo: Carsten Koall / Getty Images Photo: Carsten Koall / Getty Images Image 1 of / 4 Caption Close Syria’s al Qaeda leader warns West of retaliation for air strikes 1 / 4 Back to Gallery

BEIRUT — The leader of al Qaeda’s Syria affiliate vowed Sunday that his group would “use all possible means” to fight back against air strikes by the U.S.-led coalition and warned that the conflict would reach Western countries joining the alliance.

The U.S. views the affiliate, known as the Nusra Front, as a terrorist group, but Syrian rebels have long seen it as a potent ally against both the Islamic State extremist group — which is the main target of the coalition — and Syrian President Bashar Assad’s forces.

Syrian rebels, activists and analysts have warned that targeting the Nusra Front will inject more chaos into the Syrian conflict and indirectly help Assad by striking one of his main adversaries. The U.S. insists it wants Assad to step down, but is not targeting his forces.

In an audio recording, Nusra Front leader Abu Mohammed al-Golani portrayed the U.S.-led coalition as a “Crusader alliance” against Sunni Muslims.

He went on to warn Western countries against taking part in the alliance in words that echoed those of the late founder of al Qaeda, Osama bin Laden.

“This is what will cause the battle to be transported to the hearts of your own homes; because Muslims will not stand idly by and watch Muslims be bombed and killed in their countries, while you are safe on your countries,” he said.

The United States and five Arab allies launched an air campaign against Islamic State fighters in Syria on Tuesday with the intention of ultimately crushing the extremist group, which has created a proto-state spanning the Syria-Iraq border. The U.S. has been carrying out air strikes against the group in neighboring Iraq since August.

On Sunday, explosions lit the sky for two hours in the northern Syrian town of Tel Abyad as air strikes, likely by the coalition, targeted a refinery operated by the Islamic State group, said an eyewitness and activists.