Al-Qaeda Blames ISIS as North Syria Mosque Bombing Kills Over 25

Top Nusra Commander Reported Slain in Blast

A suicide bombing attack tore through the Salem Mosque in the town of Ariha, in the al-Qaeda-held Idlib Province of northern Syria today. At least 25 people were reported killed, though some put the figure as high as 40. The death toll included several al-Qaeda fighters, and reportedly a commander.

The mosque was packed because of iftar, the Ramadan fast breaking, and no group has yet formally claimed responsibility, though al-Qaeda officials were quick to blame ISIS, noting they’d often used this tactic in the past.

Al-Qaeda’s Nusra Front had been consolidating gains in the Idlib Province, mostly over Syrian military forces and secular rebels, for months, and is believed at this point to hold materially the whole province. They also hold parts of the neighboring Aleppo Province, where their claims run up against ISIS territory.

ISIS and al-Qaeda have been fighting off and on for the past couple of years, with ISIS seemingly mostly having the advantage, though the Idlib Province has given al-Qaeda its own power base. Today’s attack may indicate ISIS intends to challenge that holding.

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.