Nusra’s second highest commander assassinated in Syria’s Idlib

The second highest commander of al-Nusra group in Syria was assassinated by unidentified assailants in the northwestern province of Idlib.

Abdurrahman Attoun aka Abu Abdullah al-Shami, a senior commander who serves as the right hand of the organization’s top leader Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, was shot dead by masked gunmen east of Maarat al-Numan town.

The al-Qaeda-linked terror group accused the Islamic State of carrying out the hit-and-run attack.

Tensions between the two jihadi groups have notably escalated recently when Nusra militants launched a massive crackdown on ISIS elements across Idlib province. In response, the self-proclaimed Islamic State stepped up its assassination attacks which targeted senior leaders as well as fighters.