Katibat al-Battar and the Belgian Fighters in Syria

After a few hours of intensive digging in to official and officious postings on social media about Katibat al-Battar al-Libi and alleged links with some Belgian fighters we accidently stumbled on solid proof that a lot of Belgian fighters are directly linked to this group.

Update dd February 28th 2015:

A new Belgian fighter was killed last week. He was known as Abu ‘Umar or Abu Ibrahim, was using the Twitter account AbuBrams. Identified as Anis (surname unknown), a 20 year old from Molenbeek.

Update dd January 26, 2015:

On January 26, 2015 we were able to track the pictures of the two alleged ISIS fighters killed in Verviers during the anti-terrorist operation of January 15. Both, Abū Khālid al-Beljīkī and Abū Zubayr al-Beljīkī, were claimed to be connected to Katibat al-Battar, as shown in following screen shots:

The killed ISIS fighters can be identified as Soufiane Amghar (Abū Khālid al-Beljīkī) (°03/05/1988)  and Khalid Ben Larbi (Abū Zubayr al-Beljīkī ) (°28/11/1991)

The account that posted these pictures is the same account that posted the death lists and several, previously posted,  pictures of killed Belgian fighters.

It seems fair to state that there is a rather strong connection between an important part of the Belgian ISIS fighters and the supposedly Libyan brigade of ISIS.

After the foiled attacks in Verviers in Belgium on January 8, 2015, it became clear that the main suspect Abdelhamid Abaaoud can be linked directly to this group. His little brother Younes (aged 14 and hence probably the youngest foreign fighter in Syria) has been portrayed multiple times in the ranks of Libyan fighters in Syria. The picture below is one of the more recent ones.

Even a few months before the foiled terrorist attacks pictures of the Belgian fighters were circulating. Example: two group photos taken in Deir ez-Zor or ar-Raqqa portraying Katibat al-Battar members, including Belgian fighters:

But these are just photos of Belgians and a bunch of other foreign fighters, not really proving there would be a large Belgian contingent in this battalion of ISIS fighters. Following the Arabic hashtag representing the group name, however, we stumbled upon a list of fighters killed. All mentioned were killed fighting in the ranks of Katibat al-Battar sometime in 2014.

The pictures of the list, as posted on Twitter mid October 2014

The list translates as follows:

Martyrs of Katibat al-Battar

In al-Khayr and al-Baraka provinces

 

1- Omar al-Mukhtar (al-Baraka)

2- Abu Mujahid az-Zalnini (al-Baraka)

3- Abu Ubayda – Benghazi (al-Baraka)

4- Abu Anas al-Misrati (al-Baraka)

5- Al Ebra (al-Baraka)

6- Al-Muthanna al-Belgiki – (al-Baraka)

7- Abu Dujana al-Belgiki – (al-Baraka)

8- Abu Muath al-Misrati    (al-Baraka)

9- Abu Yhaha –Benghazi    (al-Baraka)

10 – Jarrah al-Belgiki – (al-Baraka)

11- Abu ‘Umar al-Belgiki – (al-Baraka)

12- Abu Talha ~ Suicide attack (al-Baraka)

13- Nouri (Abu Anas) –   (al-Baraka)

14- Hamad Bu khushaim     (al-Baraka)

15- Abu Ayoub-Benghazi     (al-Baraka)

16- Abu Dujana al-Haddad   (al-Khayr)

17-Abu Suleiman ad-Dernawi (al-Khayr)

18- Alqaqaa al-Belgiki (al-Khayr)

19- Abu Yahya an-Noufalya       (al-Baraka)

 

 

(Martyrs of Wilayat al-Khayr May 17 2014)

 

20- Abu Zaraa al-Libi

21- Abu Qaqaa al-Malki

22- Abu Dawood Baroura

23- Abu Hafs al-Maghribi al-Muhajir                                                  

24- Bilal al-Habashi

25- Abu Hamza al-Belgiki al-Maghribi

26- Abu Usama Holandi al-Maghribi

—————————————–

27 – Abu Hafs at-Tunisi

28- Abu Sayaf al-Belgiki

29- Abu Shaheed al-Faransi

30- Abu Omar

31- Abu Abdullah al-Khashlhash

——————————————

Al Sheitat War

32- Adel al-Libi ad-Dernawi

33- Abu Suleiman at-Tounisi

34- Abu Yaqoub al-Libi

35-Abu Yahya al-Belgiki

36- Abu Jaafar as-Sudani

37- Abu Dujana at-Tunisi

38- Abu Quais al-Libi

39- Harrood (Abu Hayder at-Tunisi)

40- Abu Shamisa al-Libi (Libyan)

41- Abu Ubayda Kweifya from (Benghazi)

Belgian fighters mentioned:

6: Said el Morabit

7: Belgian originating from Mali, further unknown

10: Ilyass  Boughalab

11: Unknown known as Abu ‘Umar

18: Khalid Hechti Bernan

25: Khalid Bali

28: Nabil Azahaf

35: anonymous known as Abu Yahya

For a general analysis on Katibat al-Battar al-Libi: see this post by Aymenn al-Tamimi on Professor Joshua Landis’s website