Battle name „Abu Luqman“ Bonn jihadist Fared Saal apparently arrested in Syria
Islamist Fared Saal is said to have been arrested by Kurdish militia in the North of Syria. Several media outlets reported the story on Wednesday. Saal had previously asked Muslims in Germany in propaganda videos to join the terror organisation Islamic State.
The 29-year-old son of Algerian Immigrants had gained notoriety though images on which he - under his battle name „Abu Luqman“ - was shown with heaps of corpses, bragging that he killed his enemies. „We have slaughtered“, he announced proudly back then. Saal had previously asked Muslims in Germany in propaganda videos to join Islamic State.
According to media reports, Saal is being detained in a camp in the North of Syria, amongst suspected IS fighters arrested by the Kurdish YPG combatants. It remains unclear under what circumstances Saal was arrested. The Federal Foreign Office has apparently been informed. Saal is not the only one: At least 96 persons are currently under arrest in Syria and Iraq. They are all suspected to be close to the IS organisation. Amongst those is also Saal’s Islam-legitimised second wife, a German native from Leverkusen.
Fared Saal left Germany with his wife and his one-year-old son to go to Syria in 2013. Amongst the jihadists he is considered to be a high ranking militiaman. The Americans and the United Nations have singled him out as an „international terrorist“.
Together with former rapper Denis Cuspert, also known as Des Dogg, Saal published several propaganda videos. In May 2012, both were involved in Salafist riots in Bonn-Lannersdorf, during which several police officers were severely injured. Cuspert was repeatedly reported as having been killed during battles in Syria.
(Original text: Rüdiger Franz , Translation: Mareike Graepel)
