Tarad Mohammad al-Jarba (Arabic: طراد محمد آل الجربا; 20 November 1979 – 8 September 2017), better known by his kunya Abu Muhammad al-Shimali (Arabic: أبو محمد الشمالي), was an Iraqi-born citizen of Saudi Arabia and a senior leader of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).
Abu Muhammad al-Shimali | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Tarad Muhammad al-Jarba November 20, 1979 |
| Died | 8 September 2017 (aged 37) Near Deir ez-Zor, Syria |
| Nationality | Saudi Arabian |
| Occupation | Islamic militant |
| Known for | Member of Islamic State |
History
editAbu Muhammad al-Shimali joined Al-Qaeda in Iraq in 2005, continuing his association with the group when it became ISIL.[1] He was from the al-Jarba branch of the Shammar tribe.
Militant activity
editAccording to the United States Department of State Rewards for Justice Program, he served "as a key leader in ISIL’s Immigration and Logistics Committee" and helped foreigners travel to fight in Syria, usually via Gaziantep, Turkey, and the Syrian border town of Jarabulus, which at the time was ISIL controlled. Al-Shimali and his logistics teams also controlled smuggling, financial transfers and movement of supplies into Syria and Iraq from Europe, North Africa, and the Arabian Peninsula.[1]
On September 29, 2015, the U.S. Department of the Treasury placed al-Shimali on its Specially Designated Nationals list for acting for or on behalf of ISIL. The designation blocked his financial assets and prohibited American citizens and financial institutions from dealing with him. On the same day, he was also listed on the United Nations Security Council 1267/1989 (Al-Qaida) Sanctions List, which imposed a travel ban, asset freeze, and arms embargo on al-Shimali. He was also the subject of an active INTERPOL-UN Special Notice (in the name of Tarad Mohammad al-Jarba), which was issued to alert law enforcement agencies worldwide that an individual or entity was subject to UN sanctions.[1][2]
According to The Telegraph he may have played a role in the November 2015 Paris attacks due to his position in managing the flow of fighters across the Syria–Turkey border.[3]
On 8 September 2017, al-Shimali was killed during a Russian airstrike near Deir ez-Zor, Syria, along with Gulmurod Khalimov.[4] The United States removed al-Shimali from their Rewards for Justice Program in 2022.[1]
References
edit- ^ a b c d "Wanted: Information that brings to justice... Abu-Muhammad al-Shimali". Rewards for Justice. Retrieved 7 July 2016.
- ^ "Rewards for Justice - Reward Offer for Information on ISIL Terrorist Abu-Muhammad al-Shimali". United States Department of State. November 18, 2015. Retrieved 8 July 2016.
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- ^ Rayner, Gordon (19 November 2015). "US offers $5 million reward for Isil 'gatekeeper' who arranges terrorists' safe passage from Syria". The Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group Limited. Retrieved 7 July 2016.
- ^ Soldatkin, Vladimir; Solovyov, Dmitry (8 September 2017). Jones, Gareth (ed.). "Russia says its air strike kills several top Islamic State commanders in Syria". Reuters. The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. Retrieved 5 July 2020.
