Sudanese Jihadist killed in fighting in Mosul

August 5, 2017 (KHARTOUM) – A prominent Sudanese Jihadist belonging to the Islamic State (ISIS) has been killed during the battle launched by the Iraqi army to retake Mosul from the militant group, said reliable sources.

Ali Abdel-Ma’arouf (aka Abu al-Asbat Al-Sudani), was the head of prisons in Mosul.

He was also one of the legislators who held senior positions in the group’s leadership.
Reliable sources told Sudan Tribune Saturday that Adel-Ma’arouf was killed in the battle for Mousl, saying his family was informed of his death.

According to the sources, Abdel-Ma’arouf’s family has set up a mourning tent in Shambat suburb in Khartoum North to receive condolences on the death of their son.

The same sources said Abdel-Ma’arouf had joined the group in Iraq two year ago, pointing he was one of the most prominent trainers on the use of weapons and the martial arts.

The expert on Islamic groups Al-Hadi Mohamed al-Amin told Sudan Tribune that Abdel-Ma’arouf was a member of the Muslim Brotherhood, saying he left the group in 1991 and became a Jihadist cadre.

He added Abdel-Ma’arouf has specialized in the martial arts, saying he was a champion and trainer of Shinjimasu Karate.

In 2015, the Ministry of Interior in Khartoum announced that about 70 Sudanese had gone to join the ISIS franchises, both in Libya and Syria.

However, experts on Islamic groups put the total number of the Sudanese fighters within ISIS at 150 Jihadists, saying that 56 of them had travelled to join the extremist organisation from countries other than Sudan.

They say that 35 of them have been killed in Iraq and Syria while 20 others have died in Libya.

(ST)