Tarik Aboulala

Tarik Aboulala was born in Morocco in 1995. Orphaned at a young age, he arrived in Italy as a minor and was placed under the care of the juvenile court, which assigned him to the Kayros community in Vimodrone, near Milan. The Kayros community, founded by Don Claudio Burgio, focuses on supporting unaccompanied minors by helping them complete their education and gain employment skills.
According to the community’s staff, Tarik was described as a quiet, calm, and respectful young man. He successfully completed middle school, attended a professional training program, and participated in an internship funded through a scholarship. He maintained positive relationships with both staff and peers, actively participated in group activities, and was known for his reserved and non-confrontational nature.
Tarik developed a close relationship with Monsef El Mkhayar, another young man of Moroccan origin from the same community. Monsef had a difficult family background and had previously been arrested for drug dealing. Following a brief period of detention at San Vittore prison, Monsef underwent a sudden personal transformation, distancing himself from his previous lifestyle and becoming intensely focused on religious matters. Monsef immersed himself in online content related to jihadist propaganda and began expressing increasingly radical views. Over time, he exerted a significant influence on Tarik, who, according to community staff, had always been more reserved.
In January 2015, Monsef and Tarik left Italy together. They purchased airline tickets to Istanbul and, upon arrival in Turkey, travelled by bus to the Syrian border. On February 4, 2015, the Kayros community officially reported their disappearance to the authorities.
Later reports confirmed that both young men had joined combat groups operating between Syria and Iraq. Monsef posted several photos on his social media profiles documenting their activities. On April 7, 2015, Monsef published a photo dedicated to Tarik, showing him in military clothing, wearing ammunition belts and raising his right index finger, a gesture commonly associated with martyrdom.
It was later confirmed through these posts and communications that Tarik had died in Syria during combat operations.