) , allegiance = (2012–13)
(2013–2016) , branch = * Free Syria Brigade (2012–13) *

Kurdish Front The Kurdish Front ( ar, جبهة الأكراد, transliterated: Jabhat al-Akrad; ku, Eniya Kurdan, former full name: ''Liwa' Jabhat al-'Akrad l-Nusra Shaʿbnā al-Sūrī'', "Brigade of the Kurdish Front to Support Our Syrian People") is a pre ...

(2013–14) *

Northern Sun Battalion The Northern Sun Battalion ( ar-at, كتائب شمس الشمال, Katā'ib Šams aš-Šamāl) is an armed rebel group affiliated with the Free Syrian Army and part of the Syrian Democratic Forces that has been active during the Syrian Civil ...

(2014–16) , serviceyears = 2012–16 , rank = , servicenumber = , commands = , unit = , battles = Syrian civil war *

Battle of Aleppo A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force ...

Rojava–Islamist conflict The Rojava–Islamist conflict, a major theater in the Syrian civil war, started after fighting erupted between the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) and Islamist rebel factions in the city of Ras al-Ayn. Kurdish forces launched a camp ...

Siege of Kobanî The siege of Kobanî was launched by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant on 13 September 2014, in order to capture the Kobanî Canton and its main city of Kobanî (also known as Kobanê or Ayn al-Arab) in northern Syria, in the ''de facto'' ...

Kobanî massacre The Kobanî massacre was a combination of suicide missions and attacks on Kurdish civilians by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant on the Kurdish-majority city of Kobanî, beginning on Thursday, 25 June 2015, and culminating on Friday, 2 ...

Manbij offensive (2016) {{Infobox military conflict , conflict= Manbij offensive (2016) , width = 400px , partof= the Rojava–Islamist conflict and the American-led intervention in the Syrian Civil War , image=Manbijof.png , image_size=350px , caption= Map showing SD ...

, awards = , laterwork = Faisal Abdi Bilal Saadoun (1984 – 5 June 2016), widely known as Abu Leyla or Abu Layla ( ar, أبو ليلى), was a

Kurdish Kurdish may refer to: *Kurds or Kurdish people *Kurdish languages *Kurdish alphabets *Kurdistan, the land of the Kurdish people which includes: **Southern Kurdistan **Eastern Kurdistan **Northern Kurdistan **Western Kurdistan See also * Kurd (dis ...

commander in both the

Free Syrian Army The Free Syrian Army (FSA) ( ar, الجيش السوري الحر, al-jaysh as-Sūrī al-ḥur) is a loose faction in the Syrian Civil War founded on 29 July 2011 by officers of the Syrian Armed Forces with the goal of bringing down the governm ...

and the

Syrian Democratic Forces , war = the Syrian Civil War , image = Flag of Syrian Democratic Forces.svgborder , caption = Flag , active = 10 October 2015 – present , ideology = DemocracyDecentralizationSecularism ...

(SDF). He is regarded by many as a hero of the

. Abu Layla was born near

Kobanî Kobanî (, , also rendered , ar, كُوبَانِي, Kūbānī) (Kurdish: Kobanî/ کۆبانی) officially Ayn al-Arab ( ar, عَيْن الْعَرَب, ʿAyn al-ʿArab ), is a Kurdish-majority city in northern Syria, lying immediately ...

and

Arab The Arabs (singular: Arab; singular ar, عَرَبِيٌّ, DIN 31635: , , plural ar, عَرَب, DIN 31635: , Arabic pronunciation: ), also known as the Arab people, are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in Western Asia, ...

parents; he died in a hospital in

Sulaymaniyah Sulaymaniyah, also spelled as Slemani ( ku, سلێمانی, Silêmanî, ar, السليمانية, as-Sulaymāniyyah), is a city in the east of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, not far from the Iran–Iraq border. It is surrounded by the Azmar, Go ...

Kurdistan Region Kurdistan Region ( ku, هەرێمی کوردستان, translit=Herêmî Kurdistan; ar, إقليم كردستان), abbr. KRI, is an autonomous region in Iraq comprising the four Kurdish-majority governorates of Erbil, Sulaymaniyah, Duhok, ...

Iraq Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...

. His death was caused by a sniper bullet to the head he received in the Abu Qelqel village during an offensive against the Islamic State in Manbij on 5 June 2016. At the time of his death, he was a prominent commander in the SDF.

Early life

Abu Layla grew up in

Manbij Manbij ( ar, مَنْبِج, Manbiǧ, ku, مەنبج, Minbic, tr, Münbiç, Menbic, or Menbiç) is a city in the northeast of Aleppo Governorate in northern Syria, 30 kilometers (19 mi) west of the Euphrates. In the 2004 census by the Cent ...

and was, before the Syrian Civil War, a car

mechanic A mechanic is an artisan, skilled tradesperson, or technician who uses tools to build, maintain, or repair machinery, especially cars. Duties Most mechanics specialize in a particular field, such as auto body mechanics, air conditioning and r ...

. He was married and had four daughters.

Syrian Civil War

Rebellion against the government and the rise of ISIL (2012–14)

Since the beginning of the Syrian Civil War in 2011, Abu Layla participated in protests against the Syrian government. At the end of 2012, he joined the rebels of the

and become a commander in the Free Syria Brigade. He took part in the fight against the

Syrian Arab Army The Syrian Army, officially the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) ( ar, الْجَيْشُ الْعَرَبيُّ السُّورِيُّ, al-Jayš al-ʿArabī as-Sūrī), is the army, land force branch of the Syrian Armed Forces. It is the dominant military ...

of the

Bashar al-Assad Bashar Hafez al-Assad, ', Levantine pronunciation: ; (, born 11 September 1965) is a Syrian politician who is the 19th president of Syria, since 17 July 2000. In addition, he is the commander-in-chief of the Syrian Armed Forces and the ...

government in

Aleppo )), is an adjective which means "white-colored mixed with black". , motto = , image_map = , mapsize = , map_caption = , image_map1 = ...

(al-'Ashrafiya,

Sheikh Maqsood Sheikh Maqsood ( ar, ٱلشَّيْخ مَقْصُود, aš-Šayḵ Maqṣūd, ku, Şêxmeqsûd, شێخ مەقسوود, ), sometimes spelled al-Sheikh Maqsoud, Maqsud or Maksud, is a Kurdish-majority neighborhood in the city of Aleppo, Syria. It ...

Ancient City of Aleppo The Ancient City of Aleppo ( ar, مدينة حلب القديمة, Madīnat Ḥalab al-Qadīma) is the historic city centre of Aleppo, Syria. Before the Syrian Civil War, many districts of the ancient city remained essentially unchanged since it ...

), in the

Latakia Governorate Latakia Governorate, also transliterated as Ladhakia Governorate, ( ar, مُحافظة اللاذقية / ALA-LC: ''Muḥāfaẓat al-Lādhiqīyah'') is one of the 14 governorates of Syria. It is situated in western Syria, bordering Turkey's Hatay ...

, and north of

Raqqa Raqqa ( ar, ٱلرَّقَّة, ar-Raqqah, also and ) (Kurdish languages, Kurdish: Reqa/ ڕەقە) is a city in Syria on the northeast bank of the Euphrates River, about east of Aleppo. It is located east of the Tabqa Dam, Syria's largest dam. T ...

Ayn Issa Ayn Issa ( ar, عين عيسى, also spelled Ain Issa. Meaning ''Spring of Jesus'') is a town in the Tell Abyad District of Raqqa Governorate in Syria. It is located halfway between the Syria–Turkey border town of Tell Abyad and the regional capi ...

. Between the end of 2012 and beginning of 2013, he co-founded the

Brigade, which was then part of the Free Syria Brigade. Some time later, the Kurdish Front left the Free Syria Brigade to become an independent rebel group due to the internal disputes and "intolerant behavior" displayed by the group toward

Kurds in Syria The Kurdish population of Syria ( ar, كرد سورية) is the country's largest ethnic minority, usually estimated at around 10% of the Syrian population Kurds are the largest ethnic minority in Syria, constituting around 10 per cent of the ...

. In 2013, Abu Layla led a small unit in the Kurdish Front Brigade and took part in

assassination Assassination is the murder of a prominent or important person, such as a head of state, head of government, politician, world leader, member of a royal family or CEO. The murder of a celebrity, activist, or artist, though they may not have ...

operations against the

Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant An Islamic state is a State (polity), state that has a form of government based on sharia, Islamic law (sharia). As a term, it has been used to describe various historical Polity, polities and theories of governance in the Islamic world. As a t ...

in Manbij and

Jarabulus Jarabulus ( ar, جَرَابُلُس / ALA-LC: ''Jarābulus'', Aleppo dialect: ''Jrāblos''; tr, Cerablus) is a Syrian city administratively belonging to Aleppo Governorate, under the de-facto control of the Syrian Opposition. Jarabulus lies on ...

. In April 2014, they established the

(Arabic: كتائب شمس الشمال, translit. ''kata'eb shams ash-shamal'') near Manbij.

Rise to fame in Kobani (2014)

Abu Layla found himself besieged with his battalion in the Syrian city of Kobani from September 2014. During the

Siege of Kobani A siege is a military blockade of a city, or fortress, with the intent of conquering by attrition, or a well-prepared assault. This derives from la, sedere, lit=to sit. Siege warfare is a form of constant, low-intensity conflict characterize ...

, he gained widespread attention on the Internet after allegedly saving an Islamic State fighter from the rubble. During the siege he was wounded seven times, including once on 29 November 2014 when he was transported to

Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...

for treatment, but returned to lead his battalion alongside the

YPG The People's Defense Units (YPG), (YPG) ; ar, وحدات حماية الشعب, Waḥdāt Ḥimāyat aš-Šaʽb) also called People's Protection Units, is a mainly-Kurds in Syria, Kurdish militia in Syria and the primary component of the ...

and

Peshmerga The Peshmerga ( ku, پێشمەرگه, Pêşmerge, lit=those who face death) is the Kurdish military forces of the autonomous Kurdistan Region of Iraq. According to the Constitution of Iraq, the Peshmerga, along with their security subsidiaries, ...

. The siege of the city was broken in January 2015 after 112 days of fighting with help from more than 600 airstrikes by the American-led coalition.

After Kobani (2015–16)

Although he decided to quit as a commander in early 2015, he changed his mind and joined the 2015 offensives of

Tell Abyad Tell Abyad; ku, گرێ سپی, Girê Spî; hy, Թել Աբյադ; syr, ܬܠ ܐܒܝܕ. is a town in northern Syria. It is the administrative center of the Tell Abyad District within the Raqqa Governorate. Located along the Balikh River, it const ...

and

Al-Hasakah Al-Hasakah ( ar, ٱلْحَسَكَة, al-Ḥasaka; ku, Heseke/حەسەکە; syr, ܚܣܝܟܐ Hasake), is the capital city of the Al-Hasakah Governorate, in the northeastern corner of Syria. With a 2004 census population of 188,160, it is the e ...

. He was one of the founders of the

. With his battalion, he took part in the successful offensive in

Al-Shaddadah Al-Shaddadah or al-Shaddadi ( ar, ٱلشَّدَّادَة \ ٱلشَّدَّادِي, aš-Šaddādah / aš-Šaddādī) is a town in southern al-Hasakah Governorate, northeastern Syria. The town is the administrative center of the al-Shaddadah Sub ...

Sarrin Sarrin ( ar, صرين, also spelled Serrin or Sareen) is a town in northern Syria, administratively part of the Aleppo Governorate, located northeast of Aleppo. It is situated 3 kilometers east of the Euphrates River, south of Kobanî and east ...

and

Tishrin Dam The Tishrin Dam ( ar, سد تشرين, Sadd Tišrīn, lit=October Dam, ku, بەنداڤا تشرین, Bendava Tişrîn, syc, ܣܟܪܐ ܕܬܫܪܝܢ, Sekro d'Teshrin) is a dam on the Euphrates, located east of Aleppo in Aleppo Governorate, Syria ...

in December 2015. He co-founded the

Manbij Military Council The Manbij Military Council (MMC) is a coalition established by several groups in the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), primarily the Northern Sun Battalion, on 2 April 2016 at the Tishrin Dam on the Euphrates. The MMC led the SDF's Manbij offensive ...

and in 2016 he was active with his battalion in the area around Tishreen Dam and

Death and legacy

Abu Layla died on the 5 June 2016, after being shot in the head by an Islamic State sniper on Friday June 3, in the countryside south of Manbij, Syria. He had previously been evacuated by a US military helicopter to a hospital in Sulaymaniyah, Iraqi Kurdistan, but doctors were unable to remove the bullet in his head and prevent internal bleeding in the brain. A large funeral ceremony was held for Abu Layla in the martyrs cemetery in Kobanî. Other SDF and FSA commanders, including Abdul Sattar al-Jader and Muhammad Ahmed of the

Euphrates Jarabulus Brigades The Union of Euphrates Jarabulus Battalions ( ar, تجمع كتائب الفرات جرابلس; ''Tajamu Kata'ib Furat Jarabulus'') is a Syrian rebel group affiliated with the Free Syrian Army and later the Syrian Democratic Forces which ope ...

and Abdul Karim Obeid of the Tahrir Brigade attended the funeral. The Syrian Democratic Forces named the operation against Islamic State in Manbij "Martyr Abu Leyla operation" in his memory. His brother Yussuf Abu Sa’dun was captured on 4 July by the Islamic State in the same operation near Manbij. The

Rudaw Media Network Rudaw Media Network (, or ), is a media group in Kurdistan Region, Iraq. It publishes in Sorani, Kurmanji, English, Arabic and Turkish. Rudaw Media Network also owns a weekly newspaper in the Sorani dialect with a circulation of 3,000, a Kurman ...

names him as Yousif Babe Aziz, a 42-year-old father of five. According to Rudaw, one of Aziz’s relatives told news agencies that they did not know Aziz had been captured by the Islamic State until they saw the footage released last night. “Yousif put Abu Layla’s rifle on his shoulder and decided to go to Manbij to fight ISIS. But he disappeared once he left Kobani towards Manbij. We looked for him a lot, but could not do anything,” said Jalal Ahmed, a cousin of Aziz.

References

External links

*Washington Post / Associated Press
Top Syrian Kurdish commander killed in Raqqa campaign
*Rudaw
Barzani names Abu Layla a courageous man of Kobani
{{DEFAULTSORT:Layla, Abu 1984 births 2016 deaths Members of the Free Syrian Army People killed in the Syrian civil war