On April 4, Maysar ‘Ali Musa ‘Abd Allah al-Juburi (better known as Abu Mariyah al-Qahtani) and described by those that supported and admired him as the “beloved uncle” was killed in a suicide attack at his guest house in Sarmada, Syria while receiving guests during Ramadan. This comes on the heels of him being released from prison by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham on March 7 after he had been jailed in the infamous espionage “security cell” case in mid-August 2023. He had allegedly been in contact with Western intelligence, but was then exonerated, alongside many other members of HTS who had been swept up in the “security cell” case based on poor interrogation tactics (ie. torture). Though many counter this narrative that HTS pushed when releasing him and that it was really due to internal pressures from the tribes and clans within HTS territory that have grown clout in recent years and backed al-Qahtani due to his ties to the al-Juburi tribe. While I could write an entire post about the latter “security cell” issue, I’m more interested right now in highlighting how Abu Mariyah spent the last month of his life. Below you will find a visual timeline of what we know Abu Mariyah was up to in his last month. Primarily hosting supporters from tribes and clans in the “liberated areas” congratulating him for being released from prison. Based on the fact that he had been hosting so many people in the lead up to his assassination, it is not surprising that the assassin and those behind it made a plan to exploit this openness in Abu Mariyah’s guesthouse meetings to kill him. This ends the long chapter of Abu Mariyah’s jihad in Iraq and Syria against global, regional, and lower powers.
March 7: First Photo of Abu Mariyah After His Release
March 8: The Juburi Tribe Statement Hoping HTS Holds Those Accountable For the False Accusations Against Abu Mariyah
The Qays Tribe, al-Sadah Nu’im Tribe, and Revolutionaries From Hama Congratulating Abu Mariyah On His Release From Prison
People of the East at the Reception Ceremony for Abu Mariyah
March 9: Abu Mariyah and Some of the “Vrothers” Who Were Arrested in the Security cell Case
Abu Mariyah With Men of HTS’s General Security Service
March 11: Abu Mariyah, Shaykh Abu Yusuf Halfaya, and One of the “Sistinguished Brothers“
March 12: Abu Hasan al-Hamwi and HTS’s Military Wing Meets with Abu Mariyah
The Shaykhs and Notables of the Hashemite al-Jamlan Tribe, Hosted by Abu Mariyah, Congratulate Him on His Safety and Dress Him in the Robe of the Arab Shaykhdom
The Visit of the Shaykhs of the Mawali Tribe in the Liberated Areas to Abu Mariyah
The Bani Khalid Tribe Extends Its Congratulations On the Safety and Innocence of Abu Mariyah
March 13: Speech by Shaykh Ayman al-Rashid al-Hashimi in Welcoming the Abu Mariyah
Part of the Reception of Delegations from Notables and Tribes in the Liberated Areas in the Reception Tent of Abu Mariyah
March 14: Six Consecutive Days of Visits By Delegations From the Tribes and Notables of the Liberated Northern Syria to Abu Mariyah Congratulating Him on His Acquittal and Release From Prison
A Group of “Mujahidin Brothers” In the Military Wing Visited Abu Mariyah and Congratulated Him on His Acquittal
Shamal al-Ghazi Is Hosted By Abu Mariyah Congratulating Him On His Safety and Dressing Him in the Fida’i Shemagh
The Revolutionary Munashid Abu Shahid Dariya and a “Group of Mujahidin” in the Liberated North of Syria Congratulate Abu Mariyah On His Safety and Innocence
March 15: Dignitaries and Clans Continue to Arrive at the Reception Tent for Abu Mariyah To Congratulate Him On His Acquittal
March 16: Visit of the Notables and Mujahidin of the People of the Town of Talhadiya to Abu Mariyah to Congratulate Him on His Acquittal
March 17: The Visit of Shaykh Abu Safiyah al-Kurdi to Abu Mariyah to Congratulate Him On His Acquittal
March 18: The visit of Jamil al-Salih, Commander of Jaysh al-‘Izzah, and Shaykh Abu Yusuf al-Hamwi to Abu Mariyah to Congratulate Him on His Innocence and Safety
Visit of the Notables and Shaykhs of the al-Bu Sha’aban Tribe, the al-Na’im Tribe, and the Bani Makhzoum Clan to Abu Mariyah to Congratulate Him On His Acquittal
The Visit of the Notables and Mujahidin From Saraqib City to Abu Mariyah to Congratulate Him On His Innocence and Safety
Poetic Verses From Mukhtar and One of the Notables of the Town of Harbanush to Abu Mariyah to Congratulate Him On His Acquittal
March 21: The Visit of the Shaykhs of the al-Jahish Tribe to Abu Mariyah to Congratulate Him on His Innocence and Safety
The Visit of the Notables and Shaykhs of the al-Ubayd al-Zubaydiyah Tribe to Abu Mariyah to Congratulate Him On His Innocence and Safety
March 22: Delegations From All the Liberated Cities and Towns Continue to Come to Congratulate Abu Mariyah
March 23: Delegations From All Liberated Cities and Towns Continue to Come to Congratulate Abu Mariyah on His Safety and Innocence
March 27: The Shaykhs and Notables of the al-Bu Sha’aban Tribe, al-Zubaydiyah al-Qahtaniyah Clan, From the Southern Countryside of Aleppo, Hosted by Abu Mariyah Congratulating Him on His Safety, and They Dress Him in the Cloak of the Arab Shaykhdom and Present Him With the Sword of the Tribes and Clans in the Liberated Areas
The Visit of the Notables of the al-Jabur Tribe, the al-Majadmah Clan From the Orontes Countryside, to Congratulate Abu Mariyah On His Safety and Innocence
March 28: Delegations From All Liberated Cities and Towns Continue to Come to Congratulate Abu Mariyah On His Escape From the Plot That Was Set Against Him
March 29: Delegations From All Liberated Cities and Towns Continue to Come to Congratulate Abu Mariyah On His Innocence and Safety
March 31: The Shaykhs and Notables of the al-Mawali Tribe, the al-Jamammah Clan, Are Hosted By Abu Mariyah Congratulating Him On His Safety and Presenting Him With the Sword of the Tribes and Clans in the Liberated Areas
April 2: The Visit of Aal Salim In the City of Sarmada to Abu Mariyah to Congratulate Him on His Innocence and Safety
A Good Word From One of the Shaykhs of the Syrian Clans and Tribes in the Liberated Areas to Abu Mariyah
April 4: Statement from Hay’at Taḥrīr al-Shām’s Shaykh ‘Abd al-Raḥīm ‘Aṭūn: “Condolences On the Martyrdom of the Brother Shaykh Maysar Bin ‘Alī al-Jabūrī (Abū Māriyah al-Qaḥṭānī)“
The Hand of Treachery Assassinates Shaykh Abu Mariyah al-Qahtani In the City of Sarmada
The Minister of Interior, Mr. Muhammad ‘Abd al-Rahman, Clarifies the Circumstances of the Case of the Martyrdom of a leader in Hayat Tahrir al-Sham
April 5: Video message from Hay’at Taḥrīr al-Shām: “Testimony of One of the Victims of the Treacherous Bombing That Targeted the Leader Abū Māriyah al-Qaḥṭānī”
Hay’at Taḥrīr al-Shām: “The Military Wing: For the Martyred Shaykh Abū Māriyah al-Qaḥṭānī”
Hay’at Taḥrīr al-Shām: “On the Martyrdom of Shaykh Abū Māriyyah al-Qaḥṭānī”
The Site of the Suicide Bombing That Caused the Martyrdom of Shaykh Abu Mariyah al-Qahtani In His Guesthouse In the City of Sarmada
The Remains of the Suicide Bomber Who Detonated His Explosive Belt In the Guest House of the Martyred Brother Abu Mariyah al-Qahtani in the Sarmada Area in the Northern Idlib Countryside
The Sword Presented By the Suicide Bomber and the Remains of His Explosive Belt That He Detonated On Shaykh Abu Mariyah al-Qahtani
The Martyr Shaykh Abu Mariyah al-Qahtani
Commander Abu Muhammad al-Jawlani Bids Farewell to the Martyr Shaykh Abu Mariyah al-Qahtani
Funeral Prayers For the Martyr Shaykh Mujahid al-Muhajir, Abu Mariyah al-Qahtani, At Zayd Bin Harithah Mosque In the City of Idlib
The Funeral and Burial of Shaykh Abu Mariyah al-Qahtani
April 6: Dr. Yusuf al-Hajar Abu al-Bara”s Condolences For Shaykh Abu Mariyah al-Qahtani
Aal Tayfur Aal Harhuba In Sarmada — Condolence Statement to Shaykh Mujahid Abu Mariyah al-Qahtani
Relatives of the Mujahid Shaykh Abu Mariyah al-Qahtani from al-Sham — A Statement On the Martyrdom of Shaykh Abu Mariyah al-Qahtani
A Statement of Condolence From the People of the Hawran in the Liberated North of Syria To the Family and Friends of Shaykh Abu Mariyah al-Qahtani
Majlis Aal al-Sayyid Issa’ — A Statement of Condolence On the Martyrdom of Shaykh Abu Mariyah al-Qahtani
Condolences From the ‘Ubayd Tribe On the Martyrdom of Shaykh Abu Mariyah al-Qahtani
April 7: A Statement of Condolence From the Qays Aylan Tribe – Aal Rahal – in Ma’r Shmarin For the Martyred Shaykh Abu Mariyah al-Qahtani
April 8: Statement of Condolence By the Majlis al-Shura of the Hashemite Zu’abi Tribe
April 9: The al-Bu Sha’aban Tribe in the Liberated Areas Extends Its Deepest Condolences and Sincere Sympathy to the al-Jabur al-Qahtaniyah Tribe on the Martyrdom of One of the Symbols of the Fields of Jihad
April 12: A Tribute From One of Shaykh Abu Mariyah al-Qahtani’s Companions
Syrian Jihadism 