Al-Qaeda's Syria affiliate Al-Nusra Front claimed it had captured rebel fighters who had received training from the United States, the group said in a statement Friday.

Al-Nusra accused Washington of recruiting "forces from what it calls 'the moderate opposition'... to undergo a training and rehabilitation programme run by the Central Intelligence Agency.

"A few days ago, one of these groups called Division 30 entered Syria... so Al-Nusra arrested several soldiers of this division," the online statement said.