Aboul Yakdan, Egyptian Salafi fighter against al-Assad’s regime

Egyptian militant “Mohammed  Nagi” who goes under the alias “Aboul Yakdan”  is a controversial character in the Syrian civil war arena. The radical fighter is believed to be the reason behind the conflict between the armed groups within the Islamic front on November 2013. The Egyptian radical has always been at odds with the leader of the front, “Abu Jaber El Sheikh”, as the latter insisted to call Daesh and other armed Syrian opposition groups “infidels”.

Aboul Yakdan is Al-Nour Party dissident, traveled to join Ahrar al-Sham radical group in Syria in 2012. The Egyptian radical served as a Mufti for the group before returning to Egypt after Mohammed Morsi became the president of Egypt. Aboul Yakdan left Egypt to Syria when Morsi was toppled on June 30 2013, to reassume his post as a Mufti of Ahrar al-Sham group.

Aboul Yakdan left Ahrar al-Sham, when the latter allowed coordination with the Turkish Army in North of Syria, in order to fight Daesh. The Egyptian joined Jabhat Fateh al-Sham- previously known as Al Nusra front- where he authorized to fight Ahrar al-Sham militias. However, Aboul Yakdan’s relation with Abu Mohammad al-Julani, the  commander-in-chief of the Syrian militant group, deteriorated as the latter approved of the Turkish Army intervention in North of Syrian.

During his time as a member of Ahrar al-Sham, Aboul Yakdan strongly disapproved of fighting other Islamic armed groups, where he thought that all Islamic militias must fight Bashar al-Assad’s regime. The Egyptian objected to all Fatwas naming other Islamic militias “infidels”, such as the Fatwa issued against the Syrian Interim Government- included groups opposing al-Assad- which operated in the city of Tripoli in North of Syria.

Both groups of Ahrar al-Sham and Tahrir al-Sham were caught up in lengthy dispute on May 2015, in order to control the city of Idlib, right after they managed to launch a successful offensive against al-Assad’s troops and Daesh militias.