Abu Yusuf Al-Turki
Born
Ümit Yaşar Toprak

c. 1970
Bursa, Turkey
Died23 September 2014
(aged 44) [1]
Idlib Governorate, Syria[2]
Cause of deathKilled by bombardment
NationalityTurkish[3]
Other names"The Turk"[4]
Military career
Allegianceal-Qaeda in Iraq (formerly)
Taliban
al-Nusra Front
Khorasan
Battles/warsIraq War
War in Afghanistan (2001–2021)
Syrian Civil War
Military intervention against ISIL

Ümit Yaşar Toprak[3] (c. 1970 – 23 September 2014) also known by his nom de guerre Abu Yusuf Al-Turki (the "Turk") was a sniper in 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. ^ a b c "US raids kill Al-Qaeda's Turkish sniper in Syria". Agence-France Presse. 24 September 2014. Retrieved 2 October 2014.
  4. ^ a b "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.
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