Abu Mohammad al-Adnani

Abu Muhammad al-Adnani
أبو محمد العدناني
Photo featured in IS propaganda, also used by U.S. State Department, January 2012.[1][2]
Born
Taha Sobhi Falaha

1977 (1977)[2][3]
Binnish, Idlib Governorate, Syria
Died30 August 2016(2016-08-30) (aged 38–39)
Near al-Bab, Aleppo Governorate, Syria
Cause of deathAir strike
NationalitySyrian
OccupationOfficial spokesman of the Islamic State
SuccessorAbul-Hasan al-Muhajir
Movement Islamic State
Criminal charge(s)Designated a terrorist by the United Nations Security Council and the US State Department[4][5]

Taha Sobhi Falaha (Arabic: طٰهٰ صُبْحِيِّ فَلَاحَةٍ, romanized: Ṭāhā Ṣobḥī Falāḥa; 1977 – 30 August 2016), better known by his nom de guerre Abu Muhammad al-Adnani al-Shami (Arabic: أَبُو مُحَمَّدٍ ٱلْعَدْنَانِيُّ ٱلشَّامِيُّ, romanized: ʾAbū Muḥammad al-ʿAdnānī aš-Šāmī, lit. 'Father of Muhammad, the Adnanite Levantine'), was a Syrian militant leader who was the official spokesperson and a senior leader of the Islamic State.[6][7] He was described as the chief of its external operations. He was the second most senior leader of the Islamic State after its leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.[4] Media reports in August 2016 suggested he was in charge of a special unit, known as the Emni, that was established by IS in 2014 with the double objective of internal policing and executing operations outside IS territory.[8][9]

On 5 May 2015, the U.S. State Department Rewards for Justice Program announced a reward up to US$5 million for information leading to his capture.[2][10]

On 30 August 2016, the Islamic State announced al-Adnani had been killed in Aleppo Province. A number of fighting forces claimed responsibility for al-Adnani's death. On 12 September 2016, the U.S. Department of Defense announced that a U.S. coalition airstrike had killed al-Adnani,[11] even though the Russian Federation had already claimed that Adnani had been killed in a Russian airstrike involving an Su-34 bomber.[12][13]

  1. ^ "ISI Spokesman Declares Victory Over US, Sets Sights on Iraqi Government | Latest Multimedia from Islamic State of Iraq (ISI)". Ent.siteintelgroup.com. 8 February 2012. Retrieved 2015-08-25.
  2. ^ a b c "Wanted". Rewards for Justice. 2014-08-18. Archived from the original on 2015-05-18. Retrieved 2015-08-25.
  3. ^ "OFAC Recent Actions". Archived from the original on 2016-11-04.
  4. ^ a b "United Nations Security Council Adds Names of Six Individuals to Al-Qaida Sanctions List". 15 August 2014. Retrieved 1 October 2014.
  5. ^ "Terrorist Designation of Abu Mohammed al-Adnani". US State Department. 18 August 2014. Retrieved 21 August 2014.
  6. ^ "Isis urges more attacks on Western 'disbelievers'". The Independent. Retrieved 1 October 2014.
  7. ^ "Adnani opens fire on everyone". Al-Akhbar. 8 March 2014. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
  8. ^ "IS group unit known as 'Emni' aims to export terror around the world - France 24". 4 August 2016.
  9. ^ "How a Secretive Branch of ISIS Built a Global Network of Killers". The New York Times. 3 August 2016. Retrieved 7 August 2016.
  10. ^ "Rewards for Justice Reward Offers for Information on Islamic State – of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) Terrorists". State.gov. Retrieved 2015-08-25.
  11. ^ Pentagon Confirms US Strike in Syria Killed ISIL Leader 12 September 2016
  12. ^ "Russia says it killed Islamic State leader Adnani in Syria". Reuters. 31 August 2016.
  13. ^ "Российский Су-34 уничтожил в Сирии второе лицо в ИГ". RIA Novosti. 31 August 2016.