Homegrown rebels have done most of the fighting against the Syrian government troops. But Islamist militants from abroad, including some with links to al-Qaida, are now joining the fight against the government in growing numbers.
The local rebels are not pleased with this development, and there is growing tension between the groups that share a desire to oust President Bashar Assad but little else.
Until a few weeks ago, the border crossing at Bab al-Hawa on Syria’s northern frontier with Turkey was the site of a training camp for a militant Islamist group.
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