Al-Qaida says it is severing ties with a militant group fighting in Syria, the group known as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.
The authenticity of the al-Qaida statement posted on websites frequently used by the terrorist organization could not be verified independently.
Al-Qaida chief Ayman al-Zawahiri ordered the ISIL last year to operate independently from the Nusra Front, another al-Qaida-linked jihadist group in Syria.
The ISIL ignored Zawahiri's directive and continued attempts to merge with the two branches.
Some rebel groups in Syria accuse the ISIL of trying to consolidate power in clashing with Syrian rebel groups rather than fighting President Bashar al-Assad's forces.
Monitoring groups say nearly 2,000 people have been killed in fighting between insurgent groups this year.
The ISIL has also been known as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, or ISIS.
The authenticity of the al-Qaida statement posted on websites frequently used by the terrorist organization could not be verified independently.
Al-Qaida chief Ayman al-Zawahiri ordered the ISIL last year to operate independently from the Nusra Front, another al-Qaida-linked jihadist group in Syria.
The ISIL ignored Zawahiri's directive and continued attempts to merge with the two branches.
Some rebel groups in Syria accuse the ISIL of trying to consolidate power in clashing with Syrian rebel groups rather than fighting President Bashar al-Assad's forces.
Monitoring groups say nearly 2,000 people have been killed in fighting between insurgent groups this year.
The ISIL has also been known as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, or ISIS.