Leader of Syrian hardline Islamist rebel group killed in bomb blast
Hassan Aboud was killed when a suicide bomb detonated at a high level meeting in Ram Hamdan, northwestern Syria
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.The leader of Syrian hardline Islamist rebel group Ahrar al-Sham has been killed along with other top commanders in a bomb blast, according to activists.
Hassan Aboud was killed on Tuesday when a suicide bomber detonated an explosive vest at a high-level meeting in the northwestern town of Ram Hamdan, in the Syrian province of Idlib.
A statement posted on the group’s Twitter feed said the blast had killed Aboud along with 11 other top leaders.
No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack.
Ahrar al-Sham, or The Islamic Movement of Free Men of the Levant in English, is part of a powerful coalition of Islamist rebel groups called The Islamic Front, which rivals the Islamic State group (Isis).
The coalition wants to bring rule by Shariah law in Syria and rejects the Western-backed Syrian National Coalition, but cooperates with some of their fighters on the ground.
Syria descended into civil war after an uprising against president Bashal al-Assad’s rule in 2011. The United Nations recently put the death toll above 191,000 people.
Additional reporting by Reuters and AP.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments