Syria says French jihadist killed in shootout with government forces

Syria on Wednesday (October 28, 2026) said a French jihadist was killed in a shootout with security forces in the country's northwest, the latest violence with foreign fighters since Syria's new authorities took power.In October last year, government forces clashed with French jihadists from the so-called Firqat al-Ghuraba (the Foreigners' Brigade), before the sides agreed to a ceasefire that also involved the withdrawal of heavy weapons from the Harem camp, where they are holed up in Idlib Province.In a statement carried by state television, security forces in Idlib said a patrol observed "an armed group leaving the French camp... in violation of the agreement that prohibits exiting [the site] with weapons".Some from the group began shooting at the patrol which had begun taking up pursuit, "requiring a response to the source of fire", the statement said.One of the members of the armed group was killed and a civilian wounded, it added.Firqat al-Ghuraba is led by Franco-Senegalese criminal-turned-preacher Oumar Diaby, also called Omar Omsen, and is estimated to include a few dozen to a hundred fighters accompanied by women and children.On messaging app Telegram, a channel affiliated with the group published a statement accusing the security forces of opening fire after "our brothers went to buy food in the city", killing a man it identified as Abu Ayman al-Faransi, meaning "Abu Ayman the Frenchman".The statement said the man had lived in Syria for 13 years and had fought against the forces of longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad, who was toppled by an Islamist alliance in December 2024.Accusing Syria's authorities of killing the man, the statement vowed that "we will not leave this land before taking revenge".The issue of foreign fighters who flocked to Syria during its civil war is a thorny one, with many countries refusing to take them back.Hundreds of French citizens joined jihadist ranks in Syria during the war.In September 2016, the United States designated Diaby, suspected of helping French-speaking fighters travel to Syria, as an "international terrorist".Diaby, in his 50s, is also wanted on a French arrest warrant.While some foreign fighters have joined the ranks of Syria's new military or security forces, the French jihadists have remained in Idlib where they had fought for years alongside factions that went on to help topple Assad. Published - October 28, 2026 08:45 pm IST