Who is Who - Abu Qatada Albani: An Albanian in the Syrian Government, under US sanctions for terrorism

Over the last decade, Abu Qatada Albani, originally from Skopje, has led the jihadist group "Xhemati Alban," primarily composed of Albanians from Kosovo and North Macedonia. Today, he serves in the Syrian government and is under US sanctions for terrorism. Albani has expressed his commitment to persuading Damascus to recognize Kosovo, but criticizes both Pristina and Tirana for not doing enough in this regard.

"Simultaneously, fortunately and unfortunately, there is a request to the new Syrian government for recognizing Kosovo's independence, but unfortunately, the request hasn't reached the appropriate level, as it was sent by a deputy minister of local government, as far as I remember," Albani stated just a few days ago.

He explained that the request should have been submitted by either the President or the Prime Minister of Kosovo.

Previously, in several statements to the media, he emphasized that he does not regret leading Albanians who fought in Syria and that he is working towards getting Kosovo recognized by Syria.

In an interview broadcast on January 2, he also stated that his fighters are ready should Serbia attack Kosovo.

At the same time, he criticizes the authorities in Pristina and Tirana for not wanting to resolve the issue of Albanians who are still in Syria.

"Unfortunately, Albania and Kosovo rush to help and shelter Afghan and Iranian traitors of their state and people, granting them citizenship, while leaving behind their own blood and Albanians without citizenship who fled from the Serbian massacre. In the end, the same authorities and parties preach intelligence and patriotism to us Albanians," Albani remarked after visiting one of them.

Abu Qatada Albani was born in Skopje on September 25, 1976, as Abdul Jashar. He claims to have been on the battlefields of the Middle East, mostly in Syria, for the last 12 years.

The "Xhemati Alban" unit, he says, was established in 2012 and was active in all major battles in northwest Syria.

"Albanian fighters have played an important role, not only on the ground but also in planning and coordinating operations," he stated.

In the summer of 2018, this group released a video titled "Albanian Snipers from Syria," discussing their participation in the Syrian battlefield. The 33-minute video was soon removed from the internet, and following this, "France Soar" published an extensive story about the unit.

According to reports, they joined jihadists at one of the strongest Islamist strongholds in Idlib. Soon after, it was revealed that they were fighting as part of the jihadist group Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS).

The same sources state that Abu Qatada Albani quickly became the leader of the Al Nusra Front, which led to his inclusion on the US Treasury Department's blacklist in 2016 and being charged with terrorism.

French media claim that at one point, this unit had about a hundred members, and at its peak in March 2015, the group had about 500 fighters, mostly from Kosovo and North Macedonia.

A significant moment for the Albanian jihadist battalion was on February 22, 2019, when several mujahideen units and military units operating in Syria issued a joint declaration of "Support and Loyalty to Tahrir al-Sham."

In the list of eight Islamist factions, the "Albanian Battalion" appeared fourth, with Abu Qatada Albani signing as "director of the Tahrir al-Sham military academy."

According to RSE, Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham is an Islamist militant group whose members are mainly Salafists, an ultra-radical sect within Sunni Islam. HTS aims to establish a state in Syria under Islamic law.

The group emerged in 2012 - a year after the Syrian civil war broke out. Initially called Jabhat al-Nusra or the Nusra Front, they were known as "the Syrian branch of Al-Qaeda," but later completely distanced themselves from them.

RSE notes that the Nusra Front became one of the most deadly groups fighting against Bashar al-Assad, employing tactics including suicide bombings and the use of improvised explosive devices.

US intelligence services estimate that HTS has between 5,000 and 10,000 members. The group was placed on Washington's list of terrorist organizations in 2018, and a $10 million bounty was issued for the capture of its leader, Julani.

According to military specialized websites, the leader of the Albanian jihadists, Abu Qatada Albani, was considered a close advisor to many senior HTS members, including Abu Mohammad al-Julani, the leader of HTS.

It was Julani who appointed him as the leader of "Xhemati Alban" in 2015.

Military specialist websites that also cover mujahideen units in the Middle East claim that the activities of the "Albanian group" in Syria began in 2017, coinciding with their involvement in conflicts at Ras al-Ayn, the Abu al-Duhur airbase, and Jisr al-Shughur.

They are primarily financed thanks to a squad they founded called "Albanian Tactics." This is a unit that exclusively deals with tactical training on contract for other jihadist groups in the region.

"This group has enabled 'Xhemati Alban' to position itself as a high-quality training provider using the latest equipment," state the "Grey Dynamics" websites.

After the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad at the end of last year, Abdul Jashar, better known as Abu Qatada Albani, was given the rank of colonel.

He was among only a few foreigners who deserved this honor.

"Today, by the supreme commander of the Syrian resistance, Ahmed Sherae, the first distribution of military ranks or appointments was carried out. I personally received the rank of colonel. This is an honor for us, but also a great responsibility," he stated on December 29 last year on his Facebook profile.