Syrian Islamist groups reject opposition coalition

BEIRUT (AP) -- A video posted online says a group of Islamic extremist factions in Syria have rejected the country's new opposition coalition.

The statement was posted on a militant website Monday.

The opposition coalition was formed Nov. 11 in Qatar to unite factions opposed to President Bashar Assad. The new grouping also was seen as a way to counter the growing influence of Islamic extremists in the rebellion.

But the statement suggests the extremist elements -- including the al-Qaida-inspired Jabhat al-Nusra -- want nothing to do with the new, Western-backed bloc. It also declared the embattled city of Aleppo, where many radical groups are fighting, an "Islamic state."

The authenticity of the video could not be independently confirmed, but it was released on a website that carries al-Qaida and other militant statements.

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