Nusra Front abducts leader of US-backed Syrian group

The al-Qaeda affiliate in Syria, the Nusra Front, has abducted the leader of a US-backed and trained Syrian militant group, according to opposition sources and a monitoring group cited by Reuters.

In a statement released by the group, the US-backed “Division 30” accuses the Nusra Front of having kidnapped Nadim al-Hassan and a number of others from the group near Aleppo. It called for their immediate release.

The development comes as a blow to US efforts to train and arm Syrian fighters to battle the Islamic State and other jihadist group, including Nusra.

The US launched the program in May to train over 5,000 moderate Syrian militants but the plan has suffered several setbacks as vetting has proved difficult and some insurgents were deemed ineligible.