Media reports said harsh disputes have erupted among the Free Syrian Army (FSA) rebels over links and cooperation with the notorious terrorist group, the Al-Qaeda.
    

Al-Ahd news website reported on Saturday that the harsh disputes between the FSA and the terrorist al-Nusra Front over the latter's pledging allegiance to the al-Qaeda have at times even grown so violent that have led to an exchange of fire.

The groups affiliated to FSA in a statement expressed their opposition to the al-Nusra Front's allegiance to the al-Qaeda.

Earlier this week, leader of al-Nusra Front Abu Mohammed al-Jawalani pledged allegiance to al-Qaeda.

The pledge was made in an audio message by al-Jawalani a day after al-Qaeda in Iraq said al-Nusra Front in Syria is part of its "Islamic state", al-Mayadeen TV reported.

The differences between FSA and al-Qaeda-linked group came while Head of the so-called Syrian National Coalition Sheikh Ahmad Maaz Al-Khatib has several times voiced support for al-Nusra Front.

Last December, Al-Khatib criticized the Washington's decision to put the al-Nusra Front in the US list of terrorists.

Al-Nusra Front has claimed responsibility for most of the fatal bombings targeting civilians and government institutions across Syria after the outbreak of the country's crisis in early 2011. Damascus has repeatedly warned of the growing threat of such groups to not only Syria, but the entire region as well.

Syria has been experiencing unrest since March 2011 with organized attacks by well-armed gangs against the Syrian police, border guards, statesmen, army and the civilians being reported across the country.

Thousands of people have been killed since terrorist and armed groups turned protest rallies into armed clashes.

The government blames outlaws, saboteurs, and armed terrorist groups for the deaths, stressing that the unrest is being orchestrated from abroad.