IDLIB, Syria (AP) – A suicide bomber detonated an explosive in northwestern Syria late Thursday, killing the co-founder of the country’s main al-Qaeda affiliate, which controls much of the northwest, War Watch said. member announced.
Some activists disputed the cause of the explosion, claiming that a remotely controlled bomb killed Abu Maria al-Qaftani, whose real name was Maysala al-Jubouri. Al-Qahtani co-founded Jabhat al-Nusra in Syria, but the militant group later renamed itself Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and claimed to have severed ties with al-Qaeda.
It’s been 14 years since aid has dried up in Syria as violence intensifies and civil war breaks out.
It was not possible to immediately reconcile the conflicting accounts.
This is a locator map of Syria, including the capital Damascus. (AP photo)
The bombers entered al-Qaftani’s guesthouse in the town of Sarmada in Idlib province late in the evening and detonated explosives, according to the Observatory for Human Rights, a war watchdog based in Britain with a network of local activists. I let it happen.
The small enclave in northwestern Syria is the last rebel-held area in Syria. Hayat Tahrir al-Sham controls the northwestern province of Idlib, while Turkish-backed rebels control the northern province of Aleppo. Most of the 4.5 million people living in Idlib and Aleppo provinces rely on humanitarian aid to survive, and almost half live in displacement camps.
Al-Qaftani’s killing took place against the backdrop of protests against the group and its leader, Abu Mohammed al-Golani, over the group’s harsh rule over the region and the deteriorating economic situation.
He was detained by his subordinates in August for social media abuse and released in March. He was charged with communicating with a hostile group, the Observatory said. He was subsequently relieved of his duties as a senior official of the group.
Immediately after the explosion, al-Qaftani was rushed to Bab al-Hawa Hospital in Idlib, where he succumbed to his injuries, the observatory said. Two of al-Qaftani’s guests in his home were also injured, war monitors said.
However, medical officials told The Associated Press that nine people were injured, including al-Qaftani’s bodyguard and eight other guests. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.
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Public sentiment against al-Golani and Hayat Tahrir al-Sham has been rising since the extremist group cracked down on senior members and suppressed street protests.
Mr. al-Qahtani, an Iraqi national, was a longtime al-Qaeda member who fought with U.S. forces in Iraq after the 2003 U.S.-led invasion that toppled dictator Saddam Hussein. In 2011, he was one of several al-Qaeda leaders to move to Syria, months after the country’s deadly conflict began.
