Abu al-Walid al-Tunisi, a senior commander of al-Qaeda-affiliated Horas al-Din, was killed in the morning of August 3 when an improvised-explosive device (IED) stuck his van in the town of Taftanaz in eastern Idlib.
Enab Baladi, a pro-opposition outlet, said that the terrorist was immediately transported to the town’s medical center. However, he died due to severe burns that affected all of his body.
“He was severely burned by the explosion, which disfigured his main [face] features,” the outlet’s reporter said.
Jihadi sources revealed that Abu al-Walid, a Tunisian citizen, was Horas al-Din’s general military administrator for the so called “Idlib sector.”
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There was no immediate claim for the assassination of Abu Walid. However, Jihadi sources in Idlib accused ISIS cells. The terrorist group has not commented on the matter, so far.
Regardless of the perpetrators, the assassination of Abu Walid is a major blow to Horas al-Din. The group witnessed rapid growth over the last year, taking advantage of the repeated ceasefires in Greater Idlib.
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