Syrian Jihadi Cleric Reports HTS Gave Foreign Jihadis Days To Leave Idlib, Lists 24 Names, Including French Citizens

On February 17, 2022, Syrian jihadi cleric Abu Yahya Al-Shami, a fierce critic of Syrian jihadi group Hay’at Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS) which largely controls Syria’s Idlib, published[1] a post on Telegram accusing it of expelling several foreign jihadis from the city. Al-Shami provided a list of 24 foreign jihadis of different nationalities, including Tunisians, Moroccans, an Egyptian, an Algerian, an Indian, and even some French citizens.

It should be noted that on December 29, 2021, On the Ground News (OGN), a pro-jihadi media outlet run from northern Syria by Syrian-based U.S.-born journalist Bilal Abdul Kareem, posted[2] a video on YouTube titled “Where did the Syrian Revolution Go Wrong? Part 2.” The 36-minute video featured an interview in English, held via video conference, with Canada-based, pro-Al-Qaeda cleric Tariq Abdelhaleem, with Arabic subtitles. In the interview, Abdelhaleem blamed the waning of the revolution on HTS, accused the jihadi group of persecuting foreign fighters, and advised these fighters to unite in order to protect themselves against HTS’s attempts to kill them or return them to their home countries.

In his post, titled “Displacing And Expelling The Muhajireen [foreign jihadis] from the City of Idlib,” Al-Shami presented a list of “some independent muhajireen,” claiming that HTS leader Abu Muhammad Al-Joulani issued a warning in the past few days telling them to evacuate Idlib with their wives and children. Al-Shami also stated that these jihadis were given only a few days’ notice, “with no reasons provided and no consideration for their poor financial condition, the critical injuries sustained by some, and no arrangements made for alternative residences.”

Al-Shami then listed 24 names of jihadis of different nationalities, mostly Tunisian. He stated several foreign jihadis came from Belgium, France, Tunisia, and Morocco, but did not list their names, due to “special considerations.” He added that other “independent muhajireen” were not included in the list because he could not verify what happened to them, noting that he deleted addresses from the post, also “due to special considerations.”

The following are the names listed in the post:

Abu Ayman Al-Maghribi [Moroccan]
Abu Mu'adh Al-Tunisi [Tunisian]
Firas Al-Tunisi [Tunisian]
Hamzah Al-Tunisi [Tunisian]
Abu Zakaria Al-Tunisi [Tunisian]
Abu Bilal Al-Tunisi [Tunisian]
Abu 'Abdallah Al-Maqdisi Al-Tunisi [Tunisian]
Abu Muslim Al-Jaza'iri [Algerian]
Abu Muhammad Al-Tunisi [Tunisian]
Khabab Al-Masri [Egyptian]
Abu Ibrahim Al-Faransi [French]
Bilal Al-Tunisi [Tunisian]
Abu Islam Al-Maghribi [Moroccan]
Abu 'Umar Al-Hindi [Indian]
Abu Maryam Al-Tunisi [Tunisian]
Abu Tubi Al-Maghribi [Moroccan]
Abu 'Usamah Al-Faransi Al-Tunisi [French Tunisian]
Abu Ayman Al-Faransi [French]
Kasir Al-Tunisi [Tunisian]
Abu Yasin Al-Tunisi [Tunisian]
Abu 'Akramah Al-Tunisi [Tunisian]
Abu Hamzah Al-Tunisi [Tunisian]
The family of Sajid Al-Tunisi [Tunsian]
The family of Abu Al-Khayr Al-Tunisi [Tunisian]