Video: London Muslim is first Briton to carry out Syria suicide bombing
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Syrian rebel fighters have posted footage online of their attack on Aleppo’s prison
“Lol, the first British brother!” Syria prison attack suicide bomber “was UK citizen”
Another Muslim leading a très ordinaire life, operative word normal, until he becomes more religious, more devout, and then BAM.
Here’s a picture of the suicide bomb driven by British citizen Abu Suleiman al-Britani into Aleppo prison yesterday. pic.twitter.com/4t6t2lxV7p
— Shiraz Maher (@ShirazMaher) February 7, 2014
A fellow fighter, using the name Abu Yehya Al-Sham, wrote on Twitter:
“So a brit done the martyerdom op to free the prisoners of Halab
(Aleppo), a sacrifice that is heroic in the eyes of many n villainous in
others…”Another, Abu Fulan al-Muhajir, wrote: “May allah accept him. All british muslims should be proud of him. I am, and I’m not even British.
“I met brother Abu Sulayman al-Britani. He looked so beautiful dressed all in white, standing on top of the car shouting “takbeer” (Allah is great).” (Telegraph)
The jihadist, known as Abu Suleiman al-Britani, drove a truck packed with explosives into Aleppo’s central jail yesterday, according to British fighters in Syria.
Hundreds of rebels stormed in behind him – freeing up to 300 inmates from the regime-controlled compound and prompting air strikes by government forces.(Daily Mail)
London suicide bomber believed to be first Briton to carry out Syria attack,” By Martin Bentham, London Standard, February 7, 2014
Suicide mission: A lorry bomb draped with the flag of terror group Al-Nusra which was driven into Aleppo prison
Reports said the man, known as “Abu Suleiman al-Britani”, was at the
wheel of a huge explosive-laden truck that blew up after being driven
into the gates of a prison in Aleppo.
The vehicle was carrying the flag of the al-Qaeda-linked rebel group al-Nusra Front, which has been banned in Britain for its terrorist links. A suicide video is reportedly to be posted online at some point today.
The attack, which let hundreds of inmates escape as rebel fighters poured into the jail complex, comes only days after the death of another British fighter in Syria and will heighten concern at increasing UK involvement in the conflict.
It follows warnings by Scotland Yard and MI5 that hundreds of Britons, including some teenagers, have already travelled to fight — with as many as 20 thought to have died so far.
News of al-Britani’s suicide bombing emerged today in a series of Twitter posts by London terrorism expert Shiraz Maher. One stated: “Foreign fighter confirms to me that British citizen Abu Suleiman al-Britani DID carry out suicide bombing at Aleppo prison ystrday”. Another said “British foreign fighters out there” had also verified the Londoner’s death.
A third tweet, showing a photo of the truck in the attack, said: “Here’s a picture of the suicide bomb driven by British citizen Abu Suleiman al-Britani into Aleppo prison yesterday.
“British fighters in Syria confirm to me a “martyrdom video” featuring Abu Suleiman al-Britani, who bombed Aleppo prison, is forthcoming.”
Mr Maher is a researcher at the International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation at London’s King College and was recently invited to Parliament to advise on British involvement in Syria.
He told the Standard the London man’s death had been confirmed by several sources. “I’ve had it confirmed to me by British fighters out there that he is a Briton and from London,” he said. “I spoke to a colleague in Qatar who said he had had it independently confirmed too.”
Mr Maher said the yellow tassels on the black flag draped over the suicide truck were a trademark sign of the al-Nusra Front. The group’s name was also written on the flag.
He added: “That in itself is hugely important and shows this Briton had some connection to al-Qaeda.”
Mr Maher said one Arabic source had suggested that the man was of British-Pakistani origin but that this was unconfirmed. Further details about his background and real name had also yet to emerge. He added, however, that the suicide mission highlighted the fierce commitment of British fighters in Syria and suggested that other suicide missions involving Britons could follow.
“It shows that the Britons out there are holding their own and are very much part of the battle,” he said.
“They’re very keen to stress they are not just fighting but are doing humanitarian work too, delivering food, building roads and so on.
“But the moment a battle starts they go to the front. They’re brave and embrace martyrdom. A lot crave martyrdom. They have gone there and don’t want to come back.”
‘First British suicide bomber in Syria’ believed to have struck Aleppo prison,” The Independent, February 7, 2014
The prison attack was part of a rebel offensive aimed at capturing key government symbols around the northern city of Aleppo.
Another photograph posted on Twitter shows a huge plume of smoke rising above the site shortly after the explosion.
The number of deaths caused by the attack, which comes amid continued fierce fighting for the strategically important city, remains unclear.
The al-Nusra Front has been recognised by al-Qaeda’s leader Ayman al-Zawahiri.
Terror group linked to Al-Qaeda
AL-NUSRA — the Front for the Defence of the Syrian People — is the only group affiliated to al-Qaeda fighting in Syria. The force has been behind many of the suicide bombings that have taken place since the uprising against Assad began in March 2011.
Britain and the US have listed the group as a terrorist organisation in response to the bombing campaigns. As many as 15,000 jihadists from Europe, Africa and the Arab world have flocked to fight for al-Nusra and other extremist groups. One of the most effective rebel forces, it has vowed to oust Assad’s regime and replace it with an Islamic Sharia state.
The head of the al-Nusra Front, Abu Mohammed al-Julani, said it would never accept a deal with the Syrian government. Speaking before failed peace talks in Geneva last December, he said: “We will not recognise any results. Those taking part in the conference do not represent the people who sacrificed and shed blood.”
The vehicle was carrying the flag of the al-Qaeda-linked rebel group al-Nusra Front, which has been banned in Britain for its terrorist links. A suicide video is reportedly to be posted online at some point today.
The attack, which let hundreds of inmates escape as rebel fighters poured into the jail complex, comes only days after the death of another British fighter in Syria and will heighten concern at increasing UK involvement in the conflict.
It follows warnings by Scotland Yard and MI5 that hundreds of Britons, including some teenagers, have already travelled to fight — with as many as 20 thought to have died so far.
News of al-Britani’s suicide bombing emerged today in a series of Twitter posts by London terrorism expert Shiraz Maher. One stated: “Foreign fighter confirms to me that British citizen Abu Suleiman al-Britani DID carry out suicide bombing at Aleppo prison ystrday”. Another said “British foreign fighters out there” had also verified the Londoner’s death.
A third tweet, showing a photo of the truck in the attack, said: “Here’s a picture of the suicide bomb driven by British citizen Abu Suleiman al-Britani into Aleppo prison yesterday.
“British fighters in Syria confirm to me a “martyrdom video” featuring Abu Suleiman al-Britani, who bombed Aleppo prison, is forthcoming.”
Mr Maher is a researcher at the International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation at London’s King College and was recently invited to Parliament to advise on British involvement in Syria.
He told the Standard the London man’s death had been confirmed by several sources. “I’ve had it confirmed to me by British fighters out there that he is a Briton and from London,” he said. “I spoke to a colleague in Qatar who said he had had it independently confirmed too.”
Mr Maher said the yellow tassels on the black flag draped over the suicide truck were a trademark sign of the al-Nusra Front. The group’s name was also written on the flag.
He added: “That in itself is hugely important and shows this Briton had some connection to al-Qaeda.”
Mr Maher said one Arabic source had suggested that the man was of British-Pakistani origin but that this was unconfirmed. Further details about his background and real name had also yet to emerge. He added, however, that the suicide mission highlighted the fierce commitment of British fighters in Syria and suggested that other suicide missions involving Britons could follow.
“It shows that the Britons out there are holding their own and are very much part of the battle,” he said.
“They’re very keen to stress they are not just fighting but are doing humanitarian work too, delivering food, building roads and so on.
“But the moment a battle starts they go to the front. They’re brave and embrace martyrdom. A lot crave martyrdom. They have gone there and don’t want to come back.”
‘First British suicide bomber in Syria’ believed to have struck Aleppo prison,” The Independent, February 7, 2014
A photo posted on Twitter by a senior professor at Kings College
London, Shiraz Maher, allegedly shows the lorry driven by Mr Britani,
with the black Jabhat al-Nusr flag draped over the top.
Mr Maher also tweeted claims that a foreign fighter had contacted him to confirm the bomber was Mr Britani.
Another image posted by a man claiming to be a fighter, was reportedly taken shortly after the blast and shows clouds of smoke rising from the prison.
A photo showing a blast allegedly set off by a British suicide bomber at a prison in the Syrian city of Aleppo
Around 4,000 prisoners were left in their cells before the strike, despite the building having been under siege by rebels for almost a year, and more recently becoming a military base for the Syrian army, The Telegraph reported.
According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, up to 300 prisoners were released in the Jabhat al-Nusra and Ahrar al-Sham-led operation.
The alleged attack comes after Cecilia Malmström, the EU’s Domestic Affairs Chief, warned in January that 1,200 citizens from the bloc are believed to be fighting in the war-torn country.
She claimed that the fighters were putting European governments at risk of more terror attacks at home unless they tackle growing the growing threat of extremism.
Four British fighters who had joined Syrian rebels also died in November last year, but were not involved in suicide attacks as Mr Britani is alleged to have been.’
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The vehicle features the black Jabhat al-Nusr flag and is decked out with explosives.
Britani is thought to have blown himself up as he reached the gates of the prison, which houses an estimated 4,000 inmates.
The attack – which came ahead of a second round of peace talks planned by the Syrian government for next week – was reportedly part of an offensive aimed at capturing key government symbols around the northern city of Aleppo.
If his identity is confirmed, Britani – who is of Pakistani origin – will be the eighth Briton to die fighting in Syria since the uprising against president Bashar Assad began three years ago.
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Earlier this week, siblings Akram and Mohamed Sebah were confirmed to have died waging jihad in the country’s brutal civil war.
Akram, 24, was a London estate agent who travelled with 28-year-old Mohamed to the country’s increasingly bloody battlefields.
They have now become the new poster boys for Al Qaeda, which is boasting of their ‘martyrdom’ to recruit more Western fighter
And in November, Britons Mohammed el-Araj and Abu Hujama al-Britani were revealed to have been killed during an ambush on Assad force.
Several hundred Britons are believed to be fighting in Syria’s civil war, which has left more than 130,000 people dead and forced more than 2.3 million to seek refuge abroad.
However, the ‘hate-preacher’ Anjem Choudary claims the number of British fighters is ‘in the thousands’.
And in his New Year press conference last month, French president Francois Hollande said some 700 Frenchmen were suspected of being in Syria.
On Monday, one of Britain’s top prosectuors warned that Britons who take part in the Syrian conflict could face potential life sentences on their return to the UK.
Sue Hemming told the Evening Standard it was a crime to fight in another country – even to defeat a ‘loathsome’ dictator, such as Assad.
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Mr Maher also tweeted claims that a foreign fighter had contacted him to confirm the bomber was Mr Britani.
Another image posted by a man claiming to be a fighter, was reportedly taken shortly after the blast and shows clouds of smoke rising from the prison.
A photo showing a blast allegedly set off by a British suicide bomber at a prison in the Syrian city of Aleppo
Around 4,000 prisoners were left in their cells before the strike, despite the building having been under siege by rebels for almost a year, and more recently becoming a military base for the Syrian army, The Telegraph reported.
According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, up to 300 prisoners were released in the Jabhat al-Nusra and Ahrar al-Sham-led operation.
The alleged attack comes after Cecilia Malmström, the EU’s Domestic Affairs Chief, warned in January that 1,200 citizens from the bloc are believed to be fighting in the war-torn country.
She claimed that the fighters were putting European governments at risk of more terror attacks at home unless they tackle growing the growing threat of extremism.
Four British fighters who had joined Syrian rebels also died in November last year, but were not involved in suicide attacks as Mr Britani is alleged to have been.’
+10
Battle ready: Brothers Mohamed (left) and Akram Sebah, from London, died waging jihad in Syria’s civil war
The vehicle features the black Jabhat al-Nusr flag and is decked out with explosives.
Britani is thought to have blown himself up as he reached the gates of the prison, which houses an estimated 4,000 inmates.
The attack – which came ahead of a second round of peace talks planned by the Syrian government for next week – was reportedly part of an offensive aimed at capturing key government symbols around the northern city of Aleppo.
If his identity is confirmed, Britani – who is of Pakistani origin – will be the eighth Briton to die fighting in Syria since the uprising against president Bashar Assad began three years ago.
+10
Deaths: And in November, Britons Mohammed
el-Araj (left) and Abu Hujama al-Britani (right) were revealed to have
been killed during an ambush on Assad forces. Above, the pair are joined
by the soldier who trained them
Akram, 24, was a London estate agent who travelled with 28-year-old Mohamed to the country’s increasingly bloody battlefields.
They have now become the new poster boys for Al Qaeda, which is boasting of their ‘martyrdom’ to recruit more Western fighter
And in November, Britons Mohammed el-Araj and Abu Hujama al-Britani were revealed to have been killed during an ambush on Assad force.
Several hundred Britons are believed to be fighting in Syria’s civil war, which has left more than 130,000 people dead and forced more than 2.3 million to seek refuge abroad.
However, the ‘hate-preacher’ Anjem Choudary claims the number of British fighters is ‘in the thousands’.
And in his New Year press conference last month, French president Francois Hollande said some 700 Frenchmen were suspected of being in Syria.
On Monday, one of Britain’s top prosectuors warned that Britons who take part in the Syrian conflict could face potential life sentences on their return to the UK.
Sue Hemming told the Evening Standard it was a crime to fight in another country – even to defeat a ‘loathsome’ dictator, such as Assad.
+10
Deadly weapons: It comes as makeshift weapons –
containers packed with explosives, fuel and scrap metal – have killed
more than 250 people in Aleppo in the past six days. Above, a fighter
prepares a homemade rocket
Uprising: Several hundred Britons are believed
to be fighting in the nearly three-year-old uprising against Assad,
which has left more than 130,000 people dead and forced more than 2.3
million to seek refuge abroad (thanks to the Daily Mail)
Another photograph posted on Twitter shows a huge plume of smoke rising above the site shortly after the explosion.
The number of deaths caused by the attack, which comes amid continued fierce fighting for the strategically important city, remains unclear.
The al-Nusra Front has been recognised by al-Qaeda’s leader Ayman al-Zawahiri.
Terror group linked to Al-Qaeda
AL-NUSRA — the Front for the Defence of the Syrian People — is the only group affiliated to al-Qaeda fighting in Syria. The force has been behind many of the suicide bombings that have taken place since the uprising against Assad began in March 2011.
Britain and the US have listed the group as a terrorist organisation in response to the bombing campaigns. As many as 15,000 jihadists from Europe, Africa and the Arab world have flocked to fight for al-Nusra and other extremist groups. One of the most effective rebel forces, it has vowed to oust Assad’s regime and replace it with an Islamic Sharia state.
The head of the al-Nusra Front, Abu Mohammed al-Julani, said it would never accept a deal with the Syrian government. Speaking before failed peace talks in Geneva last December, he said: “We will not recognise any results. Those taking part in the conference do not represent the people who sacrificed and shed blood.”
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