List of Islamic State members
Appearance
This is a list of current and former members of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), and its previous incarnations, including operating as a branch of al-Qaeda known as al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI), from 2004–2006.[1] Little is known about the leadership or members, as most use assumed names and many fight or appear in video with covered faces.[2]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1a/Mugshot_of_Abu_Bakr_al-Baghdadi%2C_2004.jpg/150px-Mugshot_of_Abu_Bakr_al-Baghdadi%2C_2004.jpg)
Leadership and branches
- Current known personnel (in descending order by approximate rank)
- Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi (leader)[3]
- Abu Mohammad al-Adnani (official spokesperson and an emir in Syria)[4]
- Abu Muhammad al-Shimali (key leader in ISIL’s Immigration and Logistics Committee and responsible for facilitating the travel of foreign fighters primarily through the border Turkey/Syria)[5]
- Abu Luqman, governor of Raqqah
- Abu Muqatil al-Tunisi, senior French/Tunisian leader
- Ayad al-Jumaili, head of the overall "amniyat" (the Arabic word for 'security') in Iraq and Syria
- Abu Yusaf (senior security official) [6][7]
- Abu Ahmad al-Alwani (Member of Military Shura)[8]
- Ahlam al-Nasr (poet and propagandist)
- Abu Ali al-Shishani, aka Anas Sharkas, aka Anas Jarkas (commander, formerly with al-Nusra,[9][10] wife detained in Lebanon)[11]
- Abu Ahmed (senior official interviewed by the Guardian)[12]
- Lavdrim Muhaxheri, leader of ethnic Albanian mujahideen
- "The Beatles"[13]
- Turki al-Binali, Bahraini Islamic scholar and top religious advisor
- Bahrun Naim, Indonesian leader
- Yusuf al-Hindi, Indian leader
- Bajro Ikanovic, Bosnian leader
- Foreign ISIL branches
- Abu Habib al-Libi, senior Libyan leader, served in both Iraq and Libya
- Muhammad Sholeh Ibrahim, Indonesian leader
- Abu Bilal al-Harbi, governor of Yemen
- Husayn Juaythini, senior leader in Gaza
- Abubakar Shekau, Leader of ISIL West Africa Province
- Rustam Asildarov, Leader of ISIL North Caucausus Province
- Abu Osama al-Masri, Leader of ISIL Sinai Province
- Hafiz Saeed Khan, Leader of ISIL Khorasan Province[14][15]
- Abdul Rahim Muslim Dost (Recruiter for Wilayat Khorasan)[16][17]
- Bilal Bosnić (Bosnian, alleged recruiter in Europe)[18]
- Abu Wardah Santoso, senior leader in Sulawesi, Indonesia.
Governors of ISIL territories
- Abu al-Baraa el-Azdi (Governor in ISIL "Province" of Eastern Libya)[19]
- Abu Fatima al-Jaheishi (Governor of 'South and Central Euphrates' region)[20]
Former leaders and senior personnel
- Former leaders (in descending order by date of death)
- Abu Musab al-Zarqawi (founder; killed in 2006)[21]
- Abu Saleh, senior Iraqi leader
- Abu Ayyub al-Masri (killed in 2010)[22]
- Abu Abdullah al-Rashid al-Baghdadi (killed in 2010)[23]
- Abu Suleiman al-Naser (head of military shura; killed in February 2011)[24][25]
- Haji Bakr (Strategic head and top deputy in Syria, killed in 2014)[26]
- Abu Abdulrahman al-Bilawi (Head of Military Shura, killed in 2014)[27]
- Abu Mohannad al-Sweidawi (Member of Military Shura; killed in November 2014)[28][25][29]
- Abu Sayyaf (senior leader overseeing ISIL's gas and oil operations, killed in May 2015)[30]
- Fadhil Ahmad al-Hayali (also known as Abu Muslim al-Turkmani, deputy leader in charge of Iraq; killed on 18 August 2015)[31][32][33]
- Abu Nabil al Anbari (Leader of ISIL in Libya, killed in an air strike in November 2015)[34]
- Mullah Abdul Rauf (Deputy Leader of Wilayat Khorasan; killed in 2015)[35][36]
- Abu Ala al-Afri (also known as Abu Ali al-Anbari, Deputy leader of ISIL, killed in March 2016)[37][38]
- Abu Waheeb (commander in Al Anbar, Iraq; killed in May 2016)[39][40][41]
- Abu Omar al-Shishani (field commander in Syria, killed in July 2016)[42][43]
- Other former personnel
- Abu Taisir (Al-Zarqawi's top Lieutenant, killed in 2003)[44]
- Abu Anas al-Shami (Strategist, and Al-Zarqawi's adviser, killed in 2004)[45]
- Abu Azzam (killed in 2005)[46]
- Abu Omar al-Kurdi (captured in 2005)[47]
- Abdul Hadi al-Iraqi (captured in 2006)[48]
- Sheik Abd-Al-Rahman (killed in 2006)[49]
- Hamid Juma Faris Jouri al-Saeedi (captured in 2006)[50]
- Abu Yaqub al-Masri (killed in 2007)[51]
- Haitham al-Badri (killed in 2007)[52]
- Khaled al-Mashhadani (captured in 2007)[53]
- Mahir al-Zubaydi (killed in 2008)[54]
- Maher Meshaal, Saudi nasheed singer
- Mohamed Moumou (killed in 2008)[55]
- Huthaifa al-Batawi (killed in 2011)[56]
- Omar al-Farouk al-Turki (ISIL Governor of Al-Hasakah Governorate, killed in 2014)
- Douglas McCain (killed in 2014)[57]
- Abd al Basit (Military emir in Iraq, killed in 2014)[58]
- Radwan Talib (Mosul Governor, killed in 2014)[58][59]
- Hassan Hassan Saeed Al-Jabouri (replacement Mosul Governor, killed in 2014)[59]
- Akram Qirbash (top ISIL judge; killed in 2015)[60]
- Abu Maria - Top ISIL commander in Tikrit[61] (killed in 2015)
- Ali Awni al-Harzi (killed in 2015)
- Tariq bin al-Tahar bin al-Falih al-'Awni al-Harzi (emir of suicide bombers, fundraiser,[62] killed in 2015)
- Abu Malik (co-Emir of the Kharbadan front, killed in 2015)[63]
- Abu Abdul-aziz (co-Emir of the Kharbadan front, killed in 2015)[64]
- Ahmed al-Ruwaysi or Abu Zakariya al-Tunisi (killed in 2015)[65]
- Abu Abdullah, media coordinator for Mosul area; killed near Mosul by US military strike 18 August 2015[31]
- Selim Suleiman al-Haram (a leader of Egypt branch, killed in 2015)[66]
- Denis Cuspert (also known Abu Talha al-Almani), (German recruiter; killed 16 October 2015 near Raqqa in US air strike)
- Mohammed Emwazi, nicknamed "Jihadi John" (participant in beheading videos; killed 12 November 2015 near Raqqa in US air strike)[67]
- Abu Aiman (governor, killed in 2015)[68]
- Abu Hadi (governor, killed in 2015)[68]
- Abu Atheer al-Absi - governor of Aleppo province, coordinator of the Islamic State's media operations, and then the overall deputy leader for all the Islamic State's operations in Syria.[69] His death was confirmed in the 14th issue of Dabiq magazine, where the epithet 'May Allah accept him' was used beside his name.
- Abu Aisha (leader of IS security affairs, killed in 2016)[70]
- Abu Fouz (leader of ISIS Arsal branch, killed in 2016)[71]
- Abu Ali al-Tunisi (commander of northern Syrian military branch, killed in 2016)[72]
- Abu al-Hija (a leader of the Tunisia branch, killed in 2016)[73]
- Neil Prakash (Australian ISIS recruiter, killed in 2016)[74]
- Sheikh Ibrahim (ISIS leader in southern Mosul, killed in 2016)[75]
- Maher Al-Bilawi (Fallujah ISIS commander, killed in 2016)[76]
- Abu al-Harith (Sudanese ISIS preacher and leader of Sirte branch, killed in 2016)[77]
See also
References
- ^ "Al-Qa'ida in Iraq (AQI)". nctc.gov. National Counterterrorism Center. Archived from the original on October 12, 2014. Retrieved 22 November 2014.
{{cite web}}
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suggested) (help) - ^ Reuter, Christoph (18 December 2013). "Masked Army: Jihadist Group Expands Rapidly in Syria". Spiegel Online. Spiegel-Verlag. Retrieved 17 November 2014.
- ^ "US State Department wants IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, offering $10 million reward". NewsComAu. Retrieved 2 October 2014.
- ^ Bayoumy, Yara. "Islamic State urges attacks on U.S., French citizens, taunts Obama". Reuters. Reuters.
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requires|url=
(help) - ^ "Wanted". Rewards for Justice. Retrieved 2016-05-14.
- ^ "In Turkey, a late crackdown on Islamist fighters". Washington Post. Retrieved 2 October 2014.
- ^ "The terrorists fighting us now? We just finished training them". Washington Post. Retrieved 2 October 2014.
- ^ "Most of Islamic State's leaders were officers in Saddam Hussein's Iraq". The Washington Post. 2015-04-04. Retrieved 2016-05-14.
- ^ "MTV Lebanon - Interview with a Terrorist: Abu Ali al-Shishani". Retrieved 18 February 2015.
- ^ "Sharkas Threatens to Retaliate Arrest of Family, Suspends Negotiations over Arsal Captives". Naharnet. Retrieved 18 February 2015.
- ^ "ISIS commander's wife transferred to Lebanon General Security". The Daily Star Newspaper - Lebanon. Retrieved 18 February 2015.
- ^ Chulov, Martin. "One of the Islamic State's senior commanders reveals exclusive details of the terror group's origins inside an Iraqi prison – right under the noses of their American jailers". theguardian.com. The Guardian. Retrieved 16 December 2014.
{{cite web}}
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(help) - ^ Itkowitz, Colby (5 September 2014). "Ringo Starr displeased British Islamic State torturers called 'The Beatles'". Washington Post. Katharine Weymouth. Retrieved 17 November 2014.
- ^ "Officials: Top Islamic State leader killed in Afghanistan strike". The Washington Post. 11 July 2015.
- ^ "Islamic State audio tape raises doubt whether Afghan leader dead". Retrieved 2015-07-13.
- ^ "ISIS Targets Afghanistan Just as the U.S. Quits". The Daily Beast. Retrieved 3 October 2015.
- ^ "Local support for dreaded Islamic State growing in Pakistan: Report". timesofindia.indiatimes.com. Times of India. Retrieved 23 November 2014.
- ^ Mezzofiore, Gianluca (3 September 2014). "Pro-Isis Bosnia Salafi Leader Bilal Bosnic 'Among 16 Detained in Police Sweep'". International Business Times. IBT Media. Retrieved 17 November 2014.
- ^ Michael, Maggie (9 November 2014). "How a Libyan city joined the Islamic State group". Associated Press. Retrieved 22 November 2014.
- ^ "Islamic State Senior Leadership: Whos Who" (PDF). 2014. Retrieved February 2015.
{{cite web}}
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(help) - ^ Warrick, joby (14 June 2014). "ISIS, with gains in Iraq, closes in on founder Zarqawi's violent vision". Washington Post. Katharine Weymouth. Retrieved 17 November 2014.
- ^ "ISIS Fast Facts". CNN. Turner Broadcasting System. 16 November 2014. Retrieved 17 November 2014.
- ^ MAnyuan, Dong. "The Rise of ISIS: Impacts and Future". ciis.org. China Institute of International Studies. Retrieved 22 November 2014.
- ^ "Iraqi forces kill al-Qaida 'war minister' in raid". Washingtonpost.com. 2011-02-25. Retrieved 2016-05-14.
- ^ a b Masi, Alessandria (10 November 2014). "If ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is killed, who is caliph of the Islamic State group?". International Business Times. IBT Media. Retrieved 17 November 2014.
- ^ Mroue, Bassem (27 January 2014). "Key al-Qaida militant reportedly killed in Syria". Yahoo News. Associated Press. Retrieved 22 November 2014.
- ^ Taylor, Adam (3 July 2014). "Why being Chechen is a badge of honor for Islamist militants". The Washington Post. Katharine Weymouth. Retrieved 22 November 2014.
- ^ Salam Faraj (2015-05-15). "IS seizes government HQ in Iraq's Ramadi". Yahoo.com. Retrieved 2016-05-14.
- ^ Heras, Nicholas A. (31 March 2014). "Abu Ayman al-Iraqi Directs ISIS Operations in Eastern Syria". March 2014 Briefs. 5 (3).
{{cite journal}}
:|access-date=
requires|url=
(help) - ^ Starr, Barbara (May 16, 2015). "Abu Sayyaf, key ISIS figure in Syria, killed in U.S. raid". CNN. Retrieved May 16, 2015.
- ^ a b "Islamic State 'deputy' killed near Mosul in air strike, US says". BBC. August 21, 2015. Retrieved August 21, 2015.
- ^ "ISIS Confirms That US Killed Its Number Two Leader". Arutz Sheva.
- ^ "ISIS confirms killing of number two in U.S. air strike". English.alarabiya.net. Retrieved 2016-04-10.
- ^ Eugene Scott, CNN (14 November 2015). "U.S. airstrike in Libya kills ISIS leader". CNN.
{{cite news}}
:|author=
has generic name (help) - ^ "Taliban Captures ISIS Afghanistan Chief Mullah Abdul Rauf, 45 Others". International Business Times. 30 January 2015. Retrieved 6 February 2015.
- ^ "Afghanistan drone strike 'kills IS commander Abdul Rauf'". 9 February 2015. Retrieved February 2015.
{{cite web}}
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(help) - ^ "Report: A former physics teacher is now leading ISIS - Business Insider". Business Insider. 23 April 2015. Retrieved 17 July 2015.
- ^ "A Top ISIS Leader Is Killed in an Airstrike, Pentagon Says - New York Times Online". Times Online. Retrieved 25 March 2016.
- ^ "Who Is Shaker Wahib Al-Fahdawi, aka Abu Waheeb, aka Nusayri Hunter aka Teacher of the Nausayris?". trackingterrorism.org. Terrorism Research & Analysis Consortium. Retrieved 17 November 2014.
- ^ "IS Governor of Anbar killed in Airstrike".
- ^ "Islamic State leader in Iraq's Anbar killed, Pentagon says". BBC News.
- ^ https://twitter.com/thomasjoscelyn/status/753305291450642432/photo/1
- ^ http://www.cnn.com/2016/07/13/politics/isis-omar-al-shishani/
- ^ "Abdul Hadi Daghlas". Retrieved 17 July 2015.
- ^ "Falluja raid 'hits wedding party'". BBC. Retrieved 17 November 2014.
- ^ Roggio, Bill. "The Demise of Abu Azzam". longwarjournal.org. Long War Journal. Retrieved 17 November 2014.
- ^ Fairweather, Jack; La Guardia, Anton (25 January 2005). "We have caught bomb mastermind, say Iraqis". The Daily Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group. Retrieved 17 November 2014.
- ^ Rabasa, Angel; Benard, Cheryl (1 November 2014). Eurojihad: Patterns of Islamist Radicalization and Terrorism in Europe. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. p. 70. ISBN 9781107078932. Retrieved 22 November 2014.
- ^ "Zarqawi death a 'significant blow' to al-Qaida". The Guardian. Guardian Media Group. 8 June 2006. Retrieved 22 November 2014.
- ^ Oppel, Richard A. "Iraqi Official Reports Capture of Top Insurgent Leader Linked to Shrine Bombing". The New York Times. Arthur Ochs Sulzberger, Jr. Retrieved 22 November 2014.
- ^ Bill, Roggio. "Senior al Qaeda in Iraq leader killed in airstrike". longwarjournal.org. Long War Journal. Retrieved 22 November 2014.
- ^ Bairin, Pierre; Tawfeeq, Mohammed. "Military: Mastermind of Samarra mosque bombing killed". CNN. CNN. Retrieved 22 November 2014.
- ^ Greenwell, Megan; DeYoung, Karen (19 July 2007). "Al-Qaeda in Iraq Figure Is in U.S. Custody". The Washington Post. Katharine Weymouth. Retrieved 22 November 2014.
- ^ "Al-Qaida in Iraq leader killed by U.S. soldiers in Baghdad". Star Tribune. Michael J. Klingensmith. 4 October 2008. Archived from the original on January 28, 2015. Retrieved 22 November 2014.
{{cite news}}
: Unknown parameter|deadurl=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - ^ Roggio, Bill. "Al Qaeda in Iraq's second in command was a Swedish citizen". longwarjournal.org. Long War Journal. Retrieved 22 November 2014.
- ^ Mohammed, Muhanad (8 May 2011). "Al Qaeda leader and 17 others killed in Iraq jail clash". Reuters. Retrieved 22 November 2014.
- ^ McCoy, Terrence (27 August 2014). "How Douglas McAuthur McCain became the first American to die fighting for the Islamic State". The Washington Post. Katharine Weymouth. Retrieved 22 November 2014.
- ^ a b Jim Sciutto, CNN (18 December 2014). "U.S. airstrikes kill 3 top ISIS leaders". CNN. Retrieved 18 February 2015.
{{cite news}}
:|author=
has generic name (help) - ^ a b Capelouto, Susanna (25 December 2014). "ISIS governor of Mosul killed in coalition airstrikes". CNN. Retrieved 26 December 2014.
- ^ Barbara Starr, Nick Paton Walsh, and Hamdi Alkhshali, CNN (13 May 2015). "ISIS' No. 2 leader Abu Alaa al-Afri killed, Iraq says - CNN.com". CNN. Retrieved 17 July 2015.
{{cite news}}
:|author=
has generic name (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ "PressTV-ISIL Iraqi self-declared governor killed". Retrieved 17 July 2015.
- ^ "Senior Islamic State military commander, 'emir of suicide bombers' among Treasury's terrorism designations". The Long War Journal. Retrieved 18 February 2015.
- ^ "ISIS Leaders Killed By Roadside Bomb They Previously Planted". Malaysian Digest. Retrieved 23 August 2015.
- ^ Levi Winchester. "Two Islamic State fighters 'killed by terror group's own roadside bomb' - World - News - Daily Express". Express.co.uk.
- ^ "IS commander 'killed in Libya'". Times of Malta. Retrieved 17 July 2015.
- ^ "Egypt says militant leader killed in shootout: army statement". The Daily Star Newspaper - Lebanon. Retrieved 23 August 2015.
- ^ Brian Ross (12 November 2015). "'Jihadi John' Believed Killed in US Drone Strike, US Officials Say". ABC News. Retrieved 13 November 2015.
- ^ a b "Mosul: Two Isis emirs among 9 killed in two blasts carried out by vigilantes". International Business Times, India Edition. 17 November 2015.
- ^ Umberto Bacchi. "Isis: Islamic State kidnapper-in-chief Amr al-Absi 'killed in Aleppo'". International Business Times UK.
- ^ "ISIS top security chief killed in Makhmour, Iraqi sources". Rudaw.
- ^ Masi, Alessandria. "ISIS Leader, Security Official, Killed In Lebanese Army Raid". Ibtimes.com. Retrieved 2016-05-14.
- ^ "Report: ISIS gunmen stage mutiny, kill local commander in de facto capital". The Jerusalem Post - JPost.com.
- ^ "ISIS commander killed in strike near Syria's Raqqa". English.alarabiya.net. Retrieved 2016-04-10.
- ^ Boykoff, Pamela (2016-05-05). "Australian ISIS recruiter 'killed in airstrike'". CNN.com. Retrieved 2016-05-14.
- ^ "14 ISIS militants plus leader killed by coalition warplanes in southern Mosul".
- ^ "US air strikes have killed Isis leader in Fallujah". 27 May 2016.
- ^ http://www.libyanexpress.com/prominent-sudanese-isis-leader-killed-in-sirte-sudanese-sources-disclosed/