The announcement by Jabhat al-Nusra that it was severing ties with al-Qaeda signals the terrorist organisation’s desperation. Russian and Iranian-backed Syrian forces are working together; Jabhat al-Nusra and its allies have instituted brutal Sharia rule, as documented by Amnesty International. It is hoped that US-Russian negotiations will produce an agreement on military coordination that will bring further bad news for what is now called the ‘Front for the Conquest of Syria’, The roll-out by Jabhat al-Nusra of its new brand would have been comical if there was a place for humour when dealing with the al-Qaeda affiliate and its bloody record worldwide. Ahmed Hassan Abu al-Khayr, the deputy to al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahri, announced that he had ordered the split ‘for the good of Islam and the Muslims.’ Amnesty International said the Aleppo Conquest coalition organisations working with Jabhat al-Nusra are practitioners of an ideology and governance barely distinguishable from IS.

The Pentagon has said it is investigating what could be its deadliest strike on civilians in Syria since its anti-IS campaign began two years ago. Syrian opposition groups and monitors said a strike on 19 July is likely to have killed over 100 civilians, including whole families in Syria’s Aleppo province. Speaking from Baghdad, Colonel Christopher Garver said that the anti-IS coalition reviewed reports of US warplanes killing civilians and has completed a preliminary probe. The result was that the information available was credible enough to warrant a formal investigation, which has now been initiated. Meanwhile the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights continues to monitor and report on civilian casualties as airstrikes continue. Researchers and reporters based in the Middle East have catalogued 74 civilians killed last week, but how many more may have died in US and allied airstrikes remains unclear.

Prime Minister Netanyahu reached out to the Arab citizens of Israel in a video message in Hebrew, English and Arabic and encouraged them to take on a greater role in Israel’s success. Prime Minister Netanyahu addressed the Arab citizens of Israel with a message of peace and encouragement. He noted that Arabs already hold high positions in Israel including in its parliament, hospitals and businesses and said his vision is that young Arab boys and girls will grow up knowing they can achieve anything in Israel as valued and equal citizens in Israel’s democracy.

A missionary writes, ‘We must look at Pakistan in a new way. One out of 13 unreached people groups are in Pakistan. On the persecution scale the situation in Pakistan is increasing. In 2003 Pakistan was rated #59, this year it is at #6. This part of the world needs much prayer. The devil and his legions are working at an increased and higher level. In the last three months missionaries across the country are having visas refused and rejected on a scale we have never seen before, even affecting those working in hospitals and schools. Nationals say that when missionaries are thrown out, the persecution level for local Christians will greatly increase. PRAY very directly for a reversal of these visa refusals. Visas are just one example, but many other things are rapidly happening. Prayer is the only hope for serious reversal of evil in this country and people coming to Christ.’ There is no ‘more’ link as this article was prepared from an email. Further prayer points will follow from this same source, in next week’s Prayer-Alert.