The headquarters of the Free Syrian Army had previously been in Turkey, and its move into Syria signifies just how far rebels have come.

Soldiers from the rebel Free Syrian Army stand guard near the Turkish-Syrian border crossing of Tal Abad on Saturday. Rebel forces captured the crossing last week.

The leaders of the rebel Free Syrian Army said Saturday they moved their command center from Turkey to Syria with the aim of uniting rebels and speeding up the fall of leader Bashar Assad's regime.

Brig. Gen. Mustafa al-Sheikh, who heads the FSA's Military Council, told The Associated Press that the group made the move last week. He would not say where the new headquarters is located or give other details.

The FSA is the most prominent of the rebel groups trying to topple Assad, though its authority over networks of fighters in Syria is limited. Its commanders have been criticized for being based in Turkey while thousands are killed inside Syria.