Draft:Abu Muhammad al-Adnani
| Abu Muhammad al-Adnani | |
|---|---|
| File:Adnani.jpg | |
| name | Taha Sobhi Falaha |
| Personal details | |
| religion | Islam |
Taha Sobhi Falaha (Arabic: طَهَ صُبْحِي فَلَاحَة), known by the kunya Abu Muhammad al-Adnani al-Shami (Arabic: أَبُو مُحَمَّد ٱلْعَدْنَانِي ٱلشَّامِي), was the official spokesperson and a senior leader of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS). He was recognized as the head of ISIS external operations. Following the group's leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, he was the second-highest-ranking leader within the Islamic State. Media reports in August 2016 indicated that he headed a special unit known as Emni, established by ISIS in 2014 with the dual purpose of internal policing and conducting operations outside ISIS-controlled territories[1]. He was imprisoned in Iraq between 2005 and 2010. On May 5, 2015, the U.S. Department of State's Rewards for Justice program announced a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to his capture. On August 30, 2016, ISIS announced that al-Adnani had been killed in Aleppo Governorate. Several fighting factions claimed responsibility for his death. On September 12, 2016, the U.S. Department of Defense officially confirmed that a U.S. airstrike resulted in al-Adnani's death[2].
Death
On August 30, 2016, the Islamic State announced that al-Adnani had been killed in Aleppo Governorate[3]. The Russian Federation claimed that al-Adnani was killed in a Russian airstrike on Tuesday, August 30, 2016[4]. Specifically, on August 31, the Russian Ministry of Defense stated that al-Adnani was killed in the Maarat Umm Hawsh area of Aleppo by a Russian Su-34 bomber airstrike that targeted a group of 40 individuals[5]. On September 13, the Russian international news agency Sputnik News claimed that although Russia considered its version of events "more likely" than the Pentagon's, it remained possible that al-Adnani had been killed by rivals of the Islamic State or might even still be alive[6].
An anonymous U.S. defense official stated, "Coalition forces conducted an airstrike in al-Bab, Syria, targeting a senior ISIS leader," adding that they were still working to confirm his death. Another U.S. defense official dismissed Russia's claim regarding al-Adnani's death as "nonsense" and a "joke," affirming their stance based on the August 30 statement that he was killed by U.S. forces. Furthermore, earlier on August 30, 2016, a U.S. military intelligence official stated that al-Adnani had been wounded several days prior and succumbed to his injuries in al-Bab[7].
Ammar Waqqaf, founder and director of the Gnosos think tank, stated in an interview with RT that given al-Adnani's role in Islamic State propaganda and his high rank, his death represented a setback for ISIS. He added, "It will take them (ISIS) time to replace him, but we should not yet chant slogans of joy, as they (ISIS) likely anticipated that some of their members would be killed and that replacements were already in the pipeline."
The U.S. Department of Defense confirmed on September 12 that al-Adnani was killed in an airstrike on August 30 near al-Bab.
Following his death, al-Adnani's image appeared on the cover of the first issue of ISIS's new propaganda magazine, Rumiyah, which described his life as jihadist and praised his "martyrdom." It was repeatedly stated that al-Adnani's killing would only strengthen ISIS, as many individuals were ready to follow his path and replace him[8].
See also