In recent days, the group had imposed "rules of submission" to Islam on local Christians. The retreat was ordered by Nusra Front, which has threatened to oust its rivals "from Syria and even Iraq". Population takes to the streets in celebration.

Damascus (AsiaNews / Agencies) - The Islamic guerrillas of the "Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant" (ISIL) are retreating from the town of Raqqa , where in recent days they forced local  Christians to observe "rules of submission" to Islam. The group - which has its roots in the Iraqi al-Qaida that wants to build a single caliphate that spans the Middle East, North Africa , Andalusia and southern Italy the ancient Arab and Islamic lands - gave into the ultimatum imposed by Nusra Front, another Islamist opposition group to the Assad government .

Over the past two months, the clash between rival groups within the rebels has produced about 3 thousand victims. The main tug of war is between ISIL and other militant groups. Abu Mohammed al- Julani, of the Nusra Front, had warned their rivals in recent days: "If you do not leave Raqqa you will be driven from Syria and even Iraq". The local population welcomed the news "with great celebration". Raqqa city in northern Syria, had 300 thousand inhabitants before the start of the civil war in March 2011. Among these, 1% were Christian.

• SYRIA
• ISIL
• jihadists
• raqqa
• christians
• muslim
• islam
• civil
• war
• assad
• opposition