 Born in Aleppo, Syria, in 1963 as Mohamed al-Bahaiya, al-Suri's jihadist career has its roots in the failed Islamist uprising in Syria between 1979 and 1982, following which he fled Syria.During the 1990s al-Suri coordinated closely with Abu-Musab al-Suri, a Spanish-Syrian jihadist.Together they worked to establish jihadi volunteer centers, training camps and various media groups in Afghanistan.