Abu Yusuf Al-Turki

Abu Yusuf Al-Turki
Born Ümit Yaşar Toprak
circa 1967
Died 23 September 2014
(aged 47) [1]
Idlib Governorate, Syria[2]
Cause of death
 Killed by bombardment
Nationality Turkish[3]
Other names "The Turk"[4]
Religion Sunni Islam

Military career

Allegiance

al-Qaeda in Iraq (formerly)
al-Nusra Front

Khorasan
Battles/wars

Iraq War
Syrian Civil War
Military intervention against ISIL

Ümit Yaşar Toprak[3] also known by his nom de guerre Abu Yusuf Al-Turki (the "Turk") was a renowned sniper within the al-Nusra Front[5] who trained fighters on how to become snipers.[4] He was also a member of the Wolf Unit, which was described as a unit of al-Nusra Front fighters (according to documents found by members of the Dubai-based Al Aan TV station).[6] The Wolf Unit is reportedly another name for the Khorasan Group,[7] though there are indications that the Khorasan Group may not exist as a separate entity from Jabhat al-Nusra.[8] Of Turkish descent,[9] Al-Turki lived in the Turkish province of Bursa, leaving behind five children so that he could fight for the al-Nusra Front.[3] On 23 September 2014, Al-Turki was killed during a series of a U.S.-led anti-Khorasan Group coalition airstrikes over Syria.[10]

References

  1. ↑ "Khorasan leader’s death suggested in militant tweets". AFP. 28 September 2014. Retrieved 6 October 2014.
  2. ↑ "French bomb-maker with Khorasan radicalized over 'several years'". CNN. 1 November 2014. Retrieved 3 November 2014.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 "US raids kill Al-Qaeda's Turkish sniper in Syria". Agence-France Presse. 24 September 2014. Retrieved 2 October 2014.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 "US airstrikes target Al Nusrah Front, Islamic State in Syria". Long War Journal. Retrieved 2 October 2014.
  5. ↑ "British teenage jihadi believed to have been killed in Syria". The Guardian. 24 September 2014. Retrieved 2 October 2014.
  6. ↑ "حصري: وثائق تظهر أن مجموعة خراسان هي نفسها مجموعة الذئب التابعة للنصرة". Al Aan TV. 1 October 2014. Retrieved 2 October 2014.
  7. ↑ "Is Khorasan's real name "the Wolf Unit of Jabhat al-Nusra"?". Vox Media. 30 September 2014. Retrieved 2 October 2014.
  8. ↑ Paraszczuk, Joanna (2 October 2014). "Wolf or Khorasan: Who Was Jabhat al-Nusra’s Abu Yusuf al-Turki?". Chechens in Syria. Retrieved 8 October 2014.
  9. ↑ "ABD saldırısında Nusra'nın Türk komutanı öldü". Dünya Bülteni (in Turkish). 23 September 2014. Retrieved 2 October 2014. ABD'nin bu sabah Nusra ve IŞİD hedeflerine düzenlediği saldırıda, Nusra Cephesi'nin Türk asıllı komutanı Ebu Yusuf el Türki de hayatını kaybetti
  10. ↑ Carter, Chelsea; Labott, Elise; Sciutto, Jim (23 September 2014). "'The Turk' is dead: Al Qaeda-linked terror group says leader died in Syria airstrikes". CNN. Retrieved 2 October 2014.