A new branch of al-Qaeda was established in Syria’s Idlib governorate, according to a report of the UK-based Al Quds Al Arabi newspaper on October 11.
The report claims that the name of the new al-Qaeda – affiliated group is “Ansar Al-Furqan Fi Bilad al-Sham”. According to Al Quds Al Arabi, the leader of the new group is Osama bin Laden’s Son, Hamza bin Laden.
The aim of the new group is to establish an Islamic State. Both Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and ISIS share the aim.
Moreover, the report claimed that Saudi Islamic clerics Abdullah al-Muhaysini and Muslih al-Ulyani are promoting Hamza bin Laden’s new group in Idlib governorate, and are recruiting fighters for it.
Both al-Muhaysini and al-Ulyani defected from HTS on September 11.
Al-Muhaysini denied in an official statement on October 11 that he or al-Ulyani are working for the new al-Qaeda group. However, al-Muhaysini didn’t deny the existence of the group. Furthermore, Syrian opposition activists reported that they spotted some social media accounts that are linked to the name of the new groups.
Back on October 1, the British Daily Mail newspaper claimed that the British Army Special Air Service (SAS) launched a mission to kill or capture Hamza bin Laden in Syria before he is able to organize terror attacks against the West like his father.