Senior Al-Qaeda Ideologue Sami Al-Uraydi Reportedly Killed in Syria Strike

Sami Al-Uraydi, a prominent religious ideologue within Al-Qaeda's Syrian network, has reportedly been killed in a strike by the US-led international coalition. The incident occurred overnight Friday into Saturday in the northern Idlib province, near Mashhad Rouhin. Syrian state television reported a drone strike on a motorcycle, initially identifying the victim as unidentified, but local sources later identified the target as Al-Uraydi, also known as Abu Mahmoud Al-Shami.

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The target was later identified as Al-Uraydi, also known as Abu Mahmoud Al-Shami, a senior figure in the now-defunct Hurras Al-Din group.

Al-Uraydi was a senior figure in the now-defunct Hurras Al-Din group, which was designated a terrorist organization by the European Union in 2022. Sources indicated that he had been living in hiding recently to evade capture and remained a target for coalition operations along with other leaders of Al-Qaeda-linked factions. Drone activity has intensified in the Idlib countryside in recent days, with coalition aircraft routinely patrolling the region.

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The man had been living in hiding in recent months to evade arrest.

A Jordanian national born in Amman in 1973, Al-Uraydi held a doctorate in Islamic law and authored numerous works on hadith and Islamic doctrine. He was known in Salafi circles as a close associate of Abu Mohammad Al-Maqdisi, a leading ideologue of the movement. After the Syrian uprising began in 2011, Al-Uraydi moved to Syria and served as the chief religious authority for Jabhat Al-Nusra, Al-Qaeda's Syrian affiliate, from 2014 to 2016. He became one of the group's most influential religious theorists.

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He and other leaders of Al-Qaeda-linked factions remained targets of coalition operations.

Al-Uraydi opposed Jabhat Al-Nusra's decision to sever ties with Al-Qaeda in 2016 and rebrand itself. This led to his detention in 2017. Following his release, he co-founded Hurras Al-Din in 2018, serving as its chief religious official. He continued to criticize the policies of factions that evolved from Jabhat Al-Nusra. The US State Department designated Al-Uraydi a Specially Designated Global Terrorist in 2023, having previously placed him on its terrorism list in 2019 and offering a reward for information leading to his capture. Although Hurras Al-Din formally dissolved in 2025, its leaders remained targets.

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Al-Uraydi opposed the move. The resulting disputes led to his detention in 2017.