Top Moroccan jihadist killed by the Syrian Army in Latakia

The Moroccan leader of Harakat Sham Al-Islam, ‘Azzam Al-Mughrabi, and his bodyguard, Bilal Al-Mughrabi, were reportedly killed by a missile strike in northern Latakia on Saturday. The missile strike was conducted by the Syrian Arab Army’s Special Forces after they were provided intel and satellite images from their Russian military advisers in the Latakia Governorate. Harakat Sham Al-Islam is a notorious terrorist group that was founded by former Guantanamo Bay detainees in 2013.

Since their founding, they have aided the Syrian opposition forces in northern Syria by specifically targeting the Syrian government forces near the vast border-crossing into Turkey’s Hatay Province. This Islamist group was designated as a terrorist group by the United States in September of 2014.

Morocco’s three CH-47Ds arrived home

Three refurbished US Army CH-47D Chinook transport helicopters arrived on Saturday to Tangier-Med port in the presence of US experts who were in charge of the transfer process.

After a seven month refurbishment period by Columbia Helicopters, a US maintenance repair and overhaul (MRO) company, the three helicopters arrived in Tangier and will be delivered to Morocco’s Royal Army.

In addition to the three helicopters, the US sale included “the training of Moroccan crew, tools, publications and spare parts all valued at $78.9 million.”

The $6 million contract alone included a complete interior and exterior refurbishment, airframe touch-ups, engine overhauls and painting of the aircrafts in the Moroccan army colors.Last month, the US-Africa Command division chief of Regional Operations at USASAC Scott Huther said “Three very capable aircrafts are being provided under budget to the Moroccans. Providing these helicopters will enable Morocco to use them for a variety of purposes and have inter-operability with the U.S. military and its equipment in future missions.”Huther added that the purchase has been in development since 2010, but “due to Morocco’s budget constraints the delivery could not be expedited.”

Morocco’s Royal Air Force operates a large fleet of helicopters which includes 19 Aerospatiale SA-342 Gazelles, between 10 and 12 Agusta-Bell AB-206 (Bell 206) Jet Rangers, 25 AB-205As, two Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawks, and 24 SA-330 Pumas.