Foreign Sunni fighters continue to pour into Syria, and are carving out areas that are being used as havens by jihadists:

As foreign fighters pour into Syria at an increasing clip, extremist groups are carving out pockets of territory that are becoming havens for Islamist militants, posing what United States and Western intelligence officials say may be developing into one of the biggest terrorist threats in the world today.

Thousands of fighters from around the region – as well as from the West, Africa, and Chechnya – have entered Syria to join the rebellion seeking to overthrow the Bashar al-Assad regime. Analysts have long been concerned that more moderate rebel leaders were losing control to Al Qaeda-linked extremists, some of whom have in addition to fighting the Syrian army sought to impose Islamic law on areas they have seized.

Building on the reputation they have earned in recent months as the rebellion’s most accomplished fighters, Islamist units are seeking to assert their authority over civilian life, imposing Islamic codes and punishments and administering day-to-day matters such as divorce, marriage and vehicle licensing.

Numerous Islamist groups are involved, representing a wide spectrum of views. But, increasingly, the dominant role is falling to Jabhat al-Nusra, also known as the al-Nusra Front. The group has been designated a terrorist organization by the United States for suspected ties to al-Qaeda but is widely respected by many ordinary Syrians for its battlefield prowess and the assistance it has provided to needy civilians.

The scope and pace of foreign infiltration will be read as deepening the sectarian stakes in the conflict. Shiite Iran and its Lebanese terror proxy Hezbollah have been critical in helping the regime erode opposition gains in the two-year conflict, which has now killed over 100,000 people.

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