Former Gitmo detainee blows himself up in Iraq, ISIS claims responsibility

Abu-Zakariya al-Britani, formerly known as Ronald Fiddler

The Islamic State group on Monday claimed responsibility for a suicide attack near Mosul it said was carried out by a British suicide bomber, the SITE Intelligence Group reported.

“The martyrdom-seeking brother Abu Zakariya al-Britani — may Allah accept him — detonated his explosives-laden vehicle on a headquarters of the Rafidhi army and its militias in Tal Kisum village, southwest of Mosul,” the claim quoted by SITE said.

The ISIS statement did not say when the bombing occurred.

Abu Zakariya al-Britani was identified by BBC as Ronald Fiddler, a Brit who was seized by US forces in Afghanistan and taken to Guantanamo Bay in 2002.  He was let go from the Guantanamo Bay prison in 2004 after then-Labor Home Secretary David Blunkett lobbied for his release by claiming mistreatment.

“No one who is returned … will actually be a threat to the security of the British people,” said Blunket at the time of Fiddler’s release.

The BBC reports that Fiddler crossed into Syria in 2014 to join forces with ISIS.

IS fighters of a variety of nationalities, including Britons, have carried out suicide attacks on many occasions in Iraq and Syria in the past three years.

The IS statement said that the British fighter’s attack, and that of another suicide bomber of Iraqi nationality, caused many casualties but AFP could not immediately verify the claim.

Popular Military contributed to this report.

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