Last Friday’s report of 193 Kurdish civilians kidnapped in Aleppo Province by al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) is one of the single largest kidnapping incidents in the ongoing Syrian Civil War. Details are now emerging on the identities of the victims.
Previously reported as an attack on a village or villages, locals now say the 193 were mostly students, and that they were kidnapped in several ambushes of groups of students and parents on their way to final exams in Aleppo. They were reportedly taken to a prison in AQI-held Manbij.
Exactly what their status is also remains a subject of speculation, with some reporting a vague email, claiming to be from AQI, saying the students have been taken to a “mandatory” class on Islamic law and would be released upon completion of it.
By contrast, others are saying the students are being held hostage pending a trade with the People’s Protection Units (YPG), a major Kurdish militia in northeastern Syria which holds a number of AQI members captured in fighting.
Is not kid napping a acceptable means of support for Muslims ?
If you can't blame it on America or Israel, who cares??????
there where no alquida in iraq befor post 911 us invasion of iraq. there were no alquida in syria befor aramco assisted rebels. that was easy. do you want me to take the Israel angle? do you have a hard question, please?
What group do you refer to when using the term AQ-I? There are two such transnational groups, neither with that name. They are: ISIS [the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria] and Jibhat al Nasra. The first is a very vicious transnational takfiri jihadi organization run by an Iraqi, with operations in both countries and jihadis from many countries. They have refused to submit to the guidance of the nominal AQ leader, Ayman al Zawahiri who recommends that the jihadi groups work together. They say he does not understand Islamic law. This is often incorrectly described as a part of AQ, which it is not. The second is, in fact, recognized by AQ as they fighting force in Syria and expresses a willingness to work with others. They SEEM more committed to fighting the Syrian regime than ISIS, which is trying harder to establish an Islamic state by gaining territory in the control of other fighting groups, including the Kurds and Arab tribes as well as the ineffectual Free Syrian Army..