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| Images from the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan's martyrdom video for Abu Zubayr al Turki.
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By Karen Kaya & Bill Roggio - July 17, 2012 - LWJ
The al Qaeda-linked Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan eulogized a
Turkish trainer who fought against the Pakistani military and was later
killed during fighting in northern Afghanistan.
Jundallah Studio, the propaganda arm of the Islamic Movement of
Uzbekistan, recently released the 13 minute and 50 second-long video
that announced the martyrdom of "Shahid Abu Zubayr al Turki" on its
website, Furqon, as well as other Turkish jihadist websites. The video
was obtained and translated by
The Long War Journal.
The exact date of Abu Zubayr's death was not disclosed in the video,
but it appears he was killed sometime before June 2011. The video ends
with a picture of his child, Abdullah bin Zubayr, who was born in June
2011. A fellow jihadist inferred that Abu Zubayr was killed while
attacking a military base in Kunduz province, Afghanistan.
Abu Zubayr is seen in the opening of the video issuing a pre-recorded statement imploring Muslims to wage jihad.
"I'm Zubayr al Turki. I urge you to embrace the cause and ask God to
continue on this path and help Muslims in the name of the religion, for
jihad. May God give you patience and takva [fear and love of Allah]. I
want to continue to help Muslims and urge you to do the same. That's all
I have to say."
The video then shows images from training camps that are dated
between 2008 to 2010. Images dated June 2008 show fighters training at
the first camp, which is not identified. More images are shown from the
summer of 2009 at "Kalkale." A third set of images, dated August 2010,
show fighters conducting weapons training at "Badr."
Abu Zubayr is eulogized by several IMU members, including Abu Usman
Adil , the group's emir. Adil noted that al Turki fought the Pakistani
military.
Another IMU member known as Musab al Turki described Abu Zubayr as a
skilled military trainer, and said he was killed while fighting in
Kunduz province, Afghanistan.
"He was a good soldier who trained newcomers to the jihad in
Afghanistan," Musab said. "He was so good that he was especially
requested by those in Kunduz to train newcomers to the jihad. So he went
to Kunduz to train them. They conducted a successful attack on a
military camp. He was shot in the head by a bullet during this
operation. But his fighters took over the camp and as a result of the
operation, and killed 18 infidel ANA [Afghan National Army] soldiers."
Another unnamed IMU member described Abu Zubayr as a military trainer.
"He always said that he would try to help with military causes, that was his strength, and he did," the IMU member said.
Abu Zubayr was also eulogized by Yassin Chouka, a German citizen
originally from Morocco who is better known as Abu Ibrahim al Almani and
who is prevalent in the IMU's propaganda. Chouka's statement was issued
in Arabic.
The Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan is a key ally of al Qaeda and the
Taliban, and supports operations in Afghanistan and Pakistan, as well as
plots attacks in Europe. The IMU is known to fight alongside the
Taliban in Afghanistan and has integrated into the Taliban's shadow
government in the north. [For more information on the Islamic Movement
of Uzbekistan, see
LWJ report,
IMU cleric urges Pakistanis to continue sheltering jihadis in Waziristan.]
The IMU has been a prime target of special operations forces in
Afghanistan. So far this year, special operations forces have conducted
at least 22 raids against the IMU, in Badakhshan, Baghlan, Faryab,
Logar, Helmand, Kunduz, Takhar, and Wardak, or eight of Afghanistan's 34
provinces, according to International Security Assistance Force press
releases compiled by
The Long War Journal.
This spring, ISAF killed the two previous IMU leaders for Afghanistan, in raids just a few weeks apart in Faryab province. [See
LWJ report,
Special operations forces kill newly appointed IMU leader for Afghanistan, for more information.]
Kunduz has been a key hub of IMU activity in the Afghan north. Five
of the 22 raids this year have taken place in Kunduz. The last such
raid, on July 7, resulted in
the capture of two IMU leaders who were involved in suicide operations.
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