APPREHENDED
- Full name: Skander Frih
- Pseudonym: Abu Dara’a
- Alternatives: N/a
- Location: Tunisia
- Affiliation: Army of the Ages [JaO], Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant [DaIISh]
Skander Frih (°ca 1991) is a jihadi from the Tunisian city of Monastir. Before his radicalization, he went to aviation school.1 Following the 2011 Tunisian Revolution, Frih became an active member of the Partisans of Shari’a in Tunisia [AST; Ansar Achariaâ]. He later swore allegiance to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant [DaIISh; Dawlat al-Islamiya fi-Iraq wal ash-Sham].2
Over time, Frih gained influence over followers of the organization in Tunisia and acted as a propagandist.3 In 2015, Frih traveled to Libya.4
Frih was apprehended by police in October 2016.5 His arrest coincided with the Tunisian security forces’ simultaneous operations against the Army of the Ages [JaO; Jaish al-Osour] which he allegedly led.6 The outfit was planning to kill the Tunisian interior minister and launch an attack against the country’s parliament.7 Frih was seen as the plots’ main architect.8 More than sixty of his followers are arrested during the crackdown.9
References