Abu Muhammad Al-Joulani
Hayat Tahrir al-Sham leader Abu Muhammad Al-Joulani received injures and was evacuated to a hospital in the city of Antakya in the Turkish province of Hatay, Russia’s RIA Novosti reported on February 19 citing a Turkish medical source.
According to the report, Al-Joulani received a shell fragment wound as a result of the explosion, which hit Idlib on February 18. The terrorist group’s leader is reportedly in coma.
Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (formerly Jabhat al-Nusra, the Syrian branch of al-Qaeda) has not commented on these claims so far.
Hayat Tahrir al-Sham is the most influential “opposition group” within the Idlib de-escalation zone. It controls about 80% of the area despite the fact that it’s formally excluded from the ceasefire regime. However, the military option has not been employed towards it so far because this would mean the full elimination of the so-called “opposition” in the area. Ankara is fiercely opposing to this development.
