In 1968, Ahmad Jibril led a number of discontented members of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) to form a separate group. Claiming to focus more on fighting and less on politics, they created the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine–General Command (PFLP–GC).

According to the U.S. State Department, PFLP–GC operatives carried out dozens of attacks in Europe and the Middle East during the 1970s and 1980s. They also engaged in various kidnappings. In May 1985, according to press reports, Israel exchanged 1,150 Arab prisoners for three Israelis held by the PFLP–GC.

Jibril, a former captain in the Syrian Army, originally based the group in Damascus. Although its headquarters remains in Syria, the PFLP–GC is now also closely tied to Iran. According to the State Department, the group receives logistic and military support from Syria, and financial support from Iran. Press ...