volunteer fighters for Syrian government

The commander of the al-Qaeda affiliated "Tawhid and Jihad Brigade" in al-Hasaka, north-eastern Syria, has surrendered his group's weapons to the Kurdish Peoples Protection Units (YPG).

According to the pro-opposition and Britain-based group Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the "Tawhid and Jihad Brigade", known in Arabic as "Liwa al-Tawhid wa al-Jihad", agreed to surrender as Kurdish protection units swept through the Jawadiya area of al-Hasaka.

"The weapons include a tank, 2 multiple rocket launchers, 4x4s with manned machine-guns, mortars and mortar launchers and others," the pro-opposition group wrote in a statement via their official Facebook page.

A statement earlier released by the "Tawhid and Jihad Brigade" suggest that the remnants of the group will merge with the "Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant" with its allies and continue their fight against the Kurds and YPG as well as the Syrian government.

The Kurdish People's Protection Units have had significant success battling Islamist militants in recent weeks and the YPG announced in a statement early Tuesday that it had gained full control over the villages of Tal A'lo Ghamer, Abu Hajar, Kari Fati, Karhouk, al-Yusufiya, al-Jneidiya, the al-Sawame' area, the Dajla oil company and the fields in Reef Jal A'gha suburb, all located in the al-Hasaka province.