First British Suicide Bomber Launches North Syria Attack

Bomber Was Fighting for al-Qaeda's Nusra Front

Al-Qaeda faction Jabhat al-Nusra has confirmed that the suicide bomber who initially hit the wall of Aleppo prison at the start of last week’s protracted battle and jail break was Abu Suleiman al-Britani, a British citizen.

British officials told the BBC that the attacker was “probably British” and that they are still trying to identify him specifically, with MI5 leading an investigation in Sussex.

If confirmed, he is the first British citizen to carry out a suicide bombing during the Syrian Civil War. Britain is believed to have over 100 citizens inside Syria, mostly fighting for Islamist factions.

British officials say that other British jihadists engaged in torture and execution of prisoners. There is a major concern that citizens of EU nations like Britain will return home from the Syrian war with close ties to al-Qaeda and passports that will allow them access to virtually anywhere in the world to carry out bombings.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.