Unconfirmed reports Tuesday said Abu Rateb, a leader of influential Islamist group Ahrar al-Sham, was killed by unknown gunmen in a rebel-held enclave of Syria’s western Homs govnorate. Ahrar al-Sham has also released a statement confirming the reports.
And while the news may seem minimal, the effect his death has on the rebels' larger fight could be significant.
Here are three things to know.
1. Another influential Islamist leader, Zahran Alloush, was killed less than two weeks ago. The Jaysh al-Islam commander had shown willingness to take part in political talks in January. On Dec. 25, he was killed in an airstrike in Ghouta. Local activists say a Russian plane dropped the bomb, but the Syrian army said one of its planes had carried out the attack. Either way, the move stood to reshape the conflict.
2. Abu Rateb’s Ahrar al-Sham is a powerful opposition group with mixed reviews. Today, it's one of the largest opposition groups in Syria. And they're at the forefront of discussions as world powers and the UN gear up for planned peace talks between the Syrian government and approved opposition groups this month. While they’ve been linked to al-Qaeda in the past, recent pushes by the group have tried to rebrand as a willing and capable party for the negotiation table, and for US support.
3. The death of a second powerful leader in Syria's opposition row could further help Assad. Alloush’s death raised questions about Assad’s potentially better odds last month, but it also worried the international community, who just days before had unanimously voted on a roadmap plan for Syria's peace that began with a large-scale ceasefire. As a leader who might have played a pivotal role, Alloush's death weighed heavily. Likewise, Abu Rateb's death could reignite those debates.
