Jihadist leader killed in suicide bombing near Syrian-Turkish border

Abu Maria al-Qahtani, a former leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which controls Idlib and its surroundings in Syria, was killed yesterday (April 4) in a suicide bombing attack.

Known by the alias "Abu Maria al-Qahtani," Iraqi jihadist leader Meyser Ali Musa Abdullah al-Juburi was among the founders of the organization and was a member of HTS's "Shura Council" until 2023.

According to the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), the suicide attack in the town of Sarmada in Idlib resulted in the death of al-Qahtani, while four others, including former al-Qaeda commanders, were injured. Sarmada is located 10 km from the Turkish border.

In a statement on HTS's media outlet, Amjad, it was stated, "Sheikh Abu Mariya al-Qahtani was martyred as a result of a treacherous attack carried out using an explosive belt by an element affiliated with the ISIS terrorist organization."

So far, no group has claimed responsibility for the assassination.

Meanwhile, the timing of the assassination, occurring after al-Qahtani was released in March 2024 following seven months of detention in August 2023 on charges of espionage, is noteworthy. (VC/VK)