Report: Abou Ibrahim Killed by Kurds while Trying to Storm Aleppo Town
Ammar al-Dadikhi, aka Abou Ibrahim, the infamous abductor of the Lebanese pilgrims in Syria's Aazaz, has been killed during an attempt to storm a town in Aleppo's countryside, the Beirut-based, pan-Arab television al-Mayadeen reported on Monday.
“Kurdish popular committees killed Abou Ibrahim and four members of his group as they were trying to storm the town of Qastal Jindo in Aleppo's countryside,” al-Mayadeen said.
Abou Ibrahim, the head of the so-called Northern Storm Brigade, shot to notoriety in mid-summer when his group claimed responsibility for kidnapping a group of Lebanese Shiite pilgrims in Aazaz.
Anti-regime activists in Aazaz and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights have denounced Abou Ibrahim as a criminal.
The man was reportedly wounded in a Syrian airstrike on Aazaz on August 16.
Eleven Lebanese pilgrims were kidnapped by rebels in Aazaz on May 22 as they were returning home from a pilgrimage in Iran.
One abductee was released in August in what his captors said was a “goodwill” gesture and another was released in September.
The kidnappers had repeatedly linked the release of the Lebanese captives to Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, a close ally of the Syrian regime, apologizing over his stances on the Syrian revolt.
On Saturday, the Northern Storm Brigade said it had detained Lebanese journalist Fidaa Itani.
Itani has reassured that he is in good health in a YouTube video, clarifying that he is “under house arrest.”
In a statement published on its website, the Aazaz Northern Storm Brigade said that Itani was in its custody due to security reasons.
The statement pointed out that Itani was not arrested because of his nationality or political affiliation and that he will be asked to leave Syrian territory after a few days.
Itani, who works for LBCI television and other news channels, was detained “because his work is incompatible with the path of the Syrian revolution and rebels,” the rebels posted on their page.
They pointed out that “reports and videos have not proven yet Itani's involvement with any party that works against the revolution, but his presence as a journalist no longer receives approval in areas controlled by the rebels.”
When contacted by LBCI, Abou Ibrahim confirmed that Itani is in the custody of Aazaz rebels, and that he was detained while accompanying a group of fighters in Aleppo.
“Itani was taking photos of a lot of military operations which made us suspicious and therefore we took him to Aazaz,” Abou Ibrahim said.
Meanwhile, al-Jadeed television quoted sources informed on the negotiations to free Itani as saying that al-Mustaqbal bloc MP Oqab Saqr is exerting "strenuous efforts" to free him.
He is expected to be released in the next two days, it revealed.
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