Syrian opposition groups are set to gather in Saudi Arabia Tuesday to unify their stance ahead of potential talks with the regime of President Bashar al-Assad, whose fate remains a point of contention.
It will be the first time that representatives of the political opposition and military factions fighting the regime have come together since the conflict began in 2011.
Saudi Arabia is hoping to unite the opposition ahead of talks between parties to the conflict, which world powers hope to hold before January 1.
Some 100 representatives are likely to attend the meetings, including Saudi-backed Jaish al-Islam (The Army of Islam), an amalgam of factions that include hardline Islamists, but which is not listed as a terrorist group.
The invitees do not include those considered to be "terrorist", such as the Islamic State group and Al-Qaeda's Syrian affiliate Al-Nusra Front.
Kurdish factions are also not invited.
However, Saudi Arabia's foreign ministry late Sunday said all ethnic groups were invited to the talks, which it confirmed are to take place from Tuesday to Thursday.
It said the invitation was extended to "all factions of the moderate Syrian opposition, from all parties, currents, ethnic groups, sects and political factions inside and outside Syria."
Samir Nashar, a member of the Istanbul-based National Coalition, the main Syrian opposition grouping, called it a "difficult and risky" mission.
AFP
