Mohammed al-Islambouli | |
|---|---|
| Native name | محمد شوقي الإسلامبولي |
| Born | (1957-01-21)21 January 1957 (age 68) Minya,Egypt |
| Allegiance |  Al-Qaedaal-Jama'a al-Islamiyya |
Mohammed Showqi Al-Islambouli (Arabic:محمد شوقي الإسلامبولي) (born January 21, 1957) is an Egyptian militant leader inal-Qa'ida. A prominent figure in Islamic militancy, he organized early Egyptian mujahideen networks during theSoviet-Afghan War. After establishing weapon and personnel smuggling networks through Pakistan in the 1980s, he held leadership positions in various militant organizations includingal-Gama'a al-Islamiyya. Following a brief return to Egypt in 2011 and subsequent release from detention in 2012, he emerged as the leader of theKhorasan Group, an al-Qaeda affiliate operating during theSyrian Civil War alongside theNusra Front.
Mohammed is the younger brother ofKhalid al-Islambouli, who assassinated Egyptian President Anwar Sadat in 1981
Mohammed Showqi Al-Islambouli was born on January 21, 1957, inMina, Egypt.[1] He is the younger brother ofKhalid al-Islambouli, who assassinated Egyptian PresidentAnwar Sadat in 1981.[2]
Islambouli organised the first teams of Egyptianmujahideen who joined theAfghan Arabs after theSoviet invasion of Afghanistan. By 1983, he had established a network smuggling people and weapons throughKarachi,Pakistan and Egypt that still functioned by the dawn of theWar on Terror in 2001.[2]
In late May 1995,Hassan al-Turabi met withal-Qaida deputy leaderAyman al-Zawahiri to discuss the future of theVanguards of Conquest; now to operate solely out of Egypt.[2] al-Zawahiri andMustafa Hamza organised a meeting inFerney-Voltaire on the French-Swiss border, attended by a colleague ofTal'at Fu'ad Qasim, an associate of Showky Al-Islambouli and the son ofSaid Ramadan.[2] The group decided to focus their efforts onAddis Ababa, and that their veteran members would come together under the leadership of Islambouli.[2]
Al-Islambouli came close to assassinating the Egyptian PresidentHosni Mubarak on 22 June 1995 on the way fromAddis Ababa International Airport to an African summit inthe city. Al-Islambouli and his associates opened fire on the armor-plated limousine, destroying most of the escort vehicles. However, Mubarak was saved by the skills of his chauffeur, who U-turned the damaged limousine and raced back to the airport where the presidential plane was waiting with running engines.[3][4]
Over the winter of 1996–97, Al-Islambouli was commanding a team ofal-Gama'a al-Islamiyya members, and allocated them to travel to Somalia to bolster the forces of theIslamic Liberation Party.[2]
Al-Islambouli returned to Egypt in May 2011. He was arrested upon arrival atCairo International Airport and was retried on terrorism charges. An Egyptian military court in Cairo ordered his release on health grounds in February 2012.[5]
By October 2014, Al-Islambouli was reported to be leading theKhorasan Group (KG), a group of 40 to 60 key al-Qaida members who came to Syria during theSyria Civil War along with 100 support staff. KG embedded with theNusra Front, which provided KG with logistical support and sanctuary.
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