Abu Mohammad al-Julani
 Abu Mohammad al-Julani  (“terrorist”) | |
|---|---|
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| Born | 1982 |
| Died | 1 December 2024 (Age 41) |
Ahmed Hussein al-Shar’a, known by his nom de guerre as Abu Mohammad al-Julani, was a Syrian militant leader and commander-in-chief of the militant group Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS).
In December 2024, Al Jolani died in a Russian airstrike, hours after his men stormed into Aleppo killing a number of Syrian Army troops fighting for President Bashar al-Assad.[1]
Background
Before reportedly cutting ties with Al-Qaeda in 2016, al-Julani had served as the emir of the now-defunct Al-Nusra Front, the former Syrian branch of al-Qaeda.[2] The US State Department listed al-Julani as a "Specially Designated Global Terrorist" in May 2013, and four years later announced a $10 million reward for information leading to his capture.[3]
Threatening Russia
The nisba "al-Julani" in his nom de guerre is a reference to Syria's Golan Heights, partially occupied and annexed by Israel during the Six-Day War in 1967. Al Jolani released an audio statement on 28 September 2014, in which he depicted Russia as being “Eastern Crusaders,” called for reprisal attacks inside Russia, and stated he would fight the "United States and its allies" and urged his fighters not to accept help from the West in their battle against ISIL.[4]
