Abu Sayyaf (Islamic State leader)

Tunisian Islamist terrorist (died 2015)

This article is about the Islamist leader killed in 2015. For the Filipino Islamist group, see Abu Sayyaf. For other uses, see Abu Sayyaf (disambiguation).

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Abu Sayyaf

ابو سياف

Overseer of gas and oil operations of the Islamic State
In office
201?[a] – 16 May 2015
Preceded by| Unknown
Succeeded by| Unknown
Personal details
Born|

Fathi Ben Awn Ben Jildi Murad al-Tunisi
فتحي بن عون بن الجلدي مراد التونسي

Tunisia
Died| (2015-05-16)May 16, 2015
Eastern Syria
Citizenship| Tunisia
Spouse| Umm Sayyaf
Occupation| Islamist militant
Nickname| Abu Sayyaf
Military service
Allegiance|  Islamic State
Years of service| 20??[b]-2015
Battles/wars| Syrian civil war

Fathi Ben Awn Ben Jildi Murad al-Tunisi (Arabic: فتحي بن عون بن الجلدي مراد التونسي), also known by the nom de guerre Abu Sayyaf (Arabic: ابو سياف), was a Tunisian senior leader of the Islamic State (IS) who was described as overseeing gas and oil operations.[1] Abu Sayyaf was killed on the night of May 15–16, 2015 while resisting capture during a United States Army Delta Force operation in eastern Syria.[2]

## Death

[edit]

The operation was conducted to try to capture him and his wife on suspicion of their involvement in, or "deep knowledge" of Islamic State hostage operations. Kayla Mueller is reported to have been a "personal captive" of Abu Sayyaf.[3] No U.S. soldiers were killed or injured during the operation.[4]

It was the first direct action ground raid targeting the militant group by U.S. soldiers inside Syria. (a previous U.S. ground operation in Syria was a rescue mission). Items, including several terabytes of data from laptops, cellphones and other material, were recovered from the scene and exploited for intelligence purposes.[5][6][7] More information was collected in the raid than any other in United States special operations forces history.[8] Among the objects found there are archaeological finds, which prove the involvement of IS in illicit antiquities trade.[9] The operation was launched from Iraq, with the "full consent of Iraqi authorities."[10]

A senior administration official said that the administration had assessed it likely that Abu Sayyaf was in direct contact with Islamic State leader and self-proclaimed caliph, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.[11]

Abu Sayyaf's wife, known by the nom de guerre "Umm Sayyaf" and said to be an IS member, was captured during the operation. A young Yazidi woman who appeared to be held as a slave of the couple was freed.[1][10]

A senior administration official told CNN that Abu Sayyaf was a Tunisian citizen.[2] Hisham al-Hashimi, an Iraqi researcher on IS and security threats, said that al-Jabouri was "a close associate of chief IS spokesman Abu Mohammed al-Adnani."[2]

On 19 May 2015, United States authorities identified Abu Sayyaf's real name as Fathi Ben Awn Ben Jildi Murad al-Tunisi.[12]

## Notes

[edit]

1. ^ It is unknown what year exactly Abu Sayyaf was made overseer of gas and oil operations.
2. ^ It is unknown when Abu Sayyaf joined the Islamic State.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b Statement by Secretary of Defense Ash Carter on Counter-ISIL Operation in Syria, U.S. Department of Defense, May 16, 2015
2. ^ a b c Barbara Starr, Laura Smith-Spark & Ray Sanc, Abu Sayyaf, key ISIS figure in Syria, killed in U.S. raid, CNN (May 17, 2015).
3. ^ Naylor, Sean (May 22, 2015). "Exclusive: American Hostage Passed on Chance to Escape". Foreign Policy. Retrieved May 22, 2015.
4. ^ Gal Perl Finkel, Back to the ground?, Israel Hayom, November 8, 2015.
5. ^ "U.S. Special Forces Kill Senior ISIS Leader in Syria, Capture His Wife", The Wall Street Journal, May 16, 2015
6. ^ "Hearing on U.S. Strategy in the Middle East", C-SPAN, October 28, 2015
7. ^ "A Raid on ISIS Yields a Trove of Intelligence", The New York Times, June 8, 2015
8. ^ "Coalition Efforts Against ISIL", United States Department of State, November 20, 2015
9. ^ "ISIL Leader's Loot Photo Gallery - Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs". eca.state.gov.
10. ^ a b "Statement by NSC Spokesperson Bernadette Meehan on Counter-ISIL Operation in Syria", whitehouse.gov, May 16, 2015, archived from the original on 2017-01-22 - via National Archives, "We suspect that Umm Sayyaf is a member of ISIL, played an important role in ISIL's terrorist activities, and may have been complicit in the enslavement of the young woman rescued last night."
11. ^ "Slain ISIS Leader Abu Sayyaf Was a Little-Known, but High-Value Target", NBC News, May 16, 2015
12. ^ Starr, Barbara; Conlon, Kevin (May 19, 2015). "U.S. names ISIS commander killed in raid". CNN. Retrieved May 19, 2015.

* v
* t
* e

Islamic State

Names of the Islamic State

Members
(List of leaders)|

| Current|

*   * Abu Hafs al-Hashimi al-Qurashi
* Abu Hudhayfah Al-Ansari
* Abdul Qadir Mumin
* Abu Yusaf
* Abu al-Baraa el-Azdi
* Abu Habib al-Libi
* Abu Jandal al-Masri
* Bajro Ikanović
* Faysal Ahmad Ali al-Zahrani
* Fatiha Mejjati
* Ahlam al-Nasr
* Issam Abuanza
* Musa Baluku
* Abu Fatima al-Jaheishi
* Zulfi Hoxha

|

† Former|

* Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi
* Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurashi
* Abu al-Hasan al-Hashimi al-Qurashi
* Abu al-Hussein al-Husseini al-Qurashi
* Abu Ahmad al-Alwani
* Haji Bakr
* Abu Usamah al-Maghrebi
* Abu Abdulrahman al-Bilawi
* Abu Muhannad al-Suwaydawi
* Abdul Rauf Aliza
* Abu Sayyaf
* Ali Awni al-Harzi
* Tariq al-Harzi
* Abu Khattab al-Tunisi
* Maher Meshaal
* Abu Muslim al-Turkmani
* Abu Saleh
* Mohammed Emwazi
* Abu Nabil al-Anbari
* Abu Ali al-Anbari
* Abu Waheeb
* Ali Aswad al-Jiburi
* Abu Omar al-Shishani
* El-Hassen Ould Khalill Jouleibib
* Abu Mohammad al-Adnani
* Abu Hamza Al-Qurashi
* Abu Muhammad al-Furqan
* Abu Jandal al-Kuwaiti
* Abu Bilal al-Harbi
* Ahmad Abousamra
* Turki al-Binali
* Tareq Kamleh
* Lavdrim Muhaxheri
* Abu Osama al-Masri
* Abul-Hasan al-Muhajir
* Abu Muhammad al-Shimali
* Gulmurod Khalimov
* Abdul Nasser Qardash (captured)
* Abu Yasser al-Issawi
* Adnan Abu Walid al-Sahrawi
* Abu Hamza Al-Qurashi
* Yusuf al-Hindi
* Abu Omar al-Muhajir (captured)
* Othman al-Nazih
* Jamal Udeen Al-Harith
* Aine Davis (captured)
* Alexanda Kotey (captured)
* El Shafee Elsheikh (captured)
* Denis Cuspert
* Abdelhamid Abaaoud
* Boubaker El Hakim
* Abu Musab al-Zarqawi

History|

* Jama'at al-Tawhid wal-Jihad (1999–2004)
* Al-Qaeda in Iraq (2004–2006)
* Mujahideen Shura Council (2006)
* Islamic State of Iraq (2006–2013)
* Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (2013–2014)
* Islamic State (2014–present)

Timeline of events|

* 2013
* 2014
* 2015
* 2016
* 2017
* 2018
* 2019
* 2020
* 2021
* 2022
* 2023
* 2024
* 2025

Groups|

| International branches|

* Khorasan Province (Afghanistan and Pakistan)
* Libyan Provinces (Libya)
* Caucasus Province (North Caucasus, Russia)
* Sinai Province (Sinai, Egypt)
* Algeria Province (Algeria)
* Yemen Province (Yemen)
* Abnaa ul-Khilafah (Somalia and Somaliland)
* Bengal Province (Bangladesh)
* Boko Haram (Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Mali) (2015–2016)
* West Africa Province (Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad and Niger)
* Central Africa Province (DR Congo and Uganda)
* Sahil Province (Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso)
* Hind Province (India)
* Tunisia Province
* Pakistan Province (Pakistan)
* Turkey Province (Turkey)
* Azerbaijan Province (Azerbaijan)
* Mozambique Province (Mozambique)
* Khalid ibn al-Walid Army (Syria) (2016–2018)
* Sheikh Omar Hadid Brigade (Gaza)
* Abu Sayyaf (Philippines) (2014–2024)
* Ansar Khalifa (Philippines) (2014–2021)
* Ansar al-Khilafah Brazil (Brazil) (2016–2018)
* East Indonesia Mujahideen (Indonesia) (2014–2022)

|

Unorganized cells|

* Jammu and Kashmir Province (Jammu and Kashmir)
* Kurdistan Province (Kurdistan)
* Haramayn Province (Saudi Arabia and Bahrain)
* Lebanon Province (Lebanon)
* Brussels Islamic State terror cell (Belgium)

Wars|

* War on terror
* Iraq War
* Insurgency (2003–2011)
* Iraqi civil war (2006–2008)
* Insurgency (2011–2013)
* War in Iraq (2013–2017)
* Insurgency (2017–present)
* Syrian civil war
* Spillover
* Spillover in Lebanon
* Opposition–Islamic State conflict
* Sinai insurgency
* Second Libyan Civil War
* Insurgency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
* Mozambique
* Islamist insurgency in the Sahel
* Mali War
* War in Afghanistan (2001–2021)
* Conflict with Taliban
* Moro conflict (1968–2019)
* al-Qaeda insurgency in Yemen
* Yemeni civil war (2014–present)
* Boko Haram insurgency
* Military intervention against IS
* US intervention in Iraq
* US intervention in Syria
* Russian intervention in Syria
* Turkish operation
* Somalia

Battles|

| 2013|

* Akashat
* Hawija
* Raqqa
* Al-Shabah
* Ras al-Ayn
* Tell Abyad
* Latakia
* Menagh
* Sidi Ali Ben Aoun
* Sadad
* Qalamoun
* Aleppo
* Al-Yaarubiyah
* Tell Hamis and Tell Brak
* Anbar

|

2014|

* Fallujah
* N Aleppo
* Markada
* N Iraq (Jun)
* Mosul
* Salahuddin
* Baiji (Jun)
* Tikrit
* N Iraq (Aug)
* Kobanî
* Sinjar (Aug)
* Derna
* Ramadi
* Deir ez-Zor
* Baiji (14–15)
* Sinjar (Dec)
* Zumar
* Amirli

2015|

* Nofaliya
* W Africa
* Egyptian airstrikes in Libya
* Niger raid
* E al-Hasakah
* Tikrit
* Sirte
* Hama & Homs (Mar–Apr)
* Sarrin (Mar–Apr)
* Yarmouk
* Qalamoun
* Palmyra (May)
* W al-Hasakah
* Al-Hasakah city
* Tell Abyad
* Sarrin (Jun–Jul)
* Al-Hasakah
* Kobani
* Palmyra (Jul–Aug)
* Ramadi (15–16)
* Al-Qaryatayn
* Al-Hawl
* Homs (Nov–Dec)
* Sinjar
* E Aleppo (15–16)
* Niveneh Plains
* Tishrin Dam

2016|

* Deir ez-Zor (Jan)
* Fallujah (Feb–May)
* Nangarhar
* Ben Guerdane
* Ithriyah-Raqqa (Feb–Mar)
* Al-Shaddadi
* Khanasir
* Al-Qaryatayn (Mar–Apr)
* Palmyra (Mar)
* N Aleppo (Mar–Jun)
* Hīt
* Tipo-Tipo
* Sirte
* Ar-Rutbah
* N Raqqa
* Fallujah (May–Jun)
* Manbij
* Ithriyah-Raqqa (Jun)
* Abu Kamal
* al-Rai (Aug)
* N al-Bab (Sep)
* W al-Bab (Sep)
* Dabiq
* W al-Bab (Oct–Nov)
* Al-Bab
* Aleppo
* Palmyra

2017|

* Mosul (16–17)
* Raqqa (16–17)
* Palmyra
* Deir ez-Zor (Jan–Feb)
* E Aleppo (Jan–Apr)
* E Homs
* Hama
* W Nineveh
* Tabqa
* Syrian Desert (Dec 16–Apr 17)
* Syrian Desert (May–Jul)
* Maskanah
* Marawi
* Raqqa
* S Raqqa
* C Syria
* Tal Afar
* Deir ez-Zor (17–19)
* Hawija
* E Syria (Sep–Dec)
* NW Syria (Oct 17–Feb 18)
* Abu Kamal
* W Iraq

2018|

* As-Suwayda (Jun)
* S Syria
* As-Suwayda (Aug–Nov)

2019|

* Hajin
* Baghuz Fawqani
* Barisha raid

2020|

* Chinagodrar
* Danag
* Mocímboa da Praia
* Al Bayda

2021|

* Tessit
* Palma
* Sambisa
* Dangarous

2022|

* Al-Hasakah
* Atme raid
* Andéramboukane
* Talataye

2023|

* Falagountou
* Tin-Akoff

Attacks|

| 2014|

* Jewish Museum of Belgium shooting
* Camp Speicher massacre
* Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu ramming

|

2015|

* Hypercacher kosher supermarket siege
* Beheading of Copts in Libya
* Corinthia Hotel
* Al Qubbah bombings
* Bardo National Museum
* Sanaa bombings (Mar)
* Jalalabad bombing
* Curtis Culwell Center
* Qatif & Dammam bombings
* 26 June
* Kobanî massacre
* Saint-Quentin-Fallavier
* Kuwait mosque bombing
* Sousse
* Khan Bani Saad bombing
* Suruç bombing
* Baghdad bombing (Aug)
* Sanaa bombing (Sep)
* Ankara bombings
* Saihat shooting
* Metrojet Flight 9268
* Beirut bombings
* Paris (Nov)
* Tunis bombing
* San Bernardino attack
* Qamishli bombings

2016|

* Zliten truck bombing
* Hurghada
* Istanbul bombing (Jan)
* Jakarta
* Ramadi bombing
* Mahasin mosque
* Sayyidah Zaynab (Jan)
* Mosul massacre
* Dikwa bombings (Feb)
* Homs bombings (Feb)
* Sayyidah Zaynab bombings (Feb)
* Baghdad bombings (Feb)
* Istanbul bombing (Mar)
* Brussels bombings
* Aden bombing
* Iskandariya bombing
* Baghdad bombing (Apr)
* Samawa bombing
* Gaziantep bombing (May)
* Baghdad bombings (11 May)
* Real Madrid fan club massacres
* Baghdad gas plant
* Yemen police bombings (15 May)
* Baghdad bombings (17 May)
* Jableh & Tartous bombings (May)
* Yemen bombings (23 May)
* Aktobe shootings
* Pulse nightclub shooting
* Magnanville stabbing
* Mukalla (Jun)
* Movida Bar
* Atatürk Airport
* Dhaka (Jul)
* Karrada bombing
* Muhammad ibn Ali al-Hadi Mausoleum
* Nice truck
* Würzburg train
* Kabul bombing (Jul)
* Ansbach bombing
* Normandy church
* Qamishli bombings (Jul)
* Charleroi stabbing
* Shchelkovo Highway police station
* Aden bombing (Aug)
* Syria bombings (5 Sep)
* Baghdad bombings (9 Sep)
* Baghdad bombings (Oct)
* Quetta police college
* Hamam al-Alil massacre
* Khuzdar bombing
* Samarinda bombing
* Hillah bombing (Nov)
* Aden bombings (Dec)
* Botroseya bombing
* Al-Karak
* Berlin truck
* Murders of Sefter Taş and Fethi Şahin
* Baghdad bombings (Dec)

2017|

* Istanbul nightclub shooting
* Baghdad bombings (2 Jan)
* Azaz bombing (Jan)
* Sehwan bombing
* Kabul (Mar)
* Westminster
* St Petersburg Metro bombing
* Egypt church bombings
* Mastung bombing
* Manchester Arena bombing
* Jakarta bombings
* Minya
* Al-Faqma bombing
* London Bridge
* Brighton siege
* Tehran
* Pakistan attacks (Jun)
* Hurghada
* Quetta bombing (Aug)
* Barcelona
* Brussels (Aug)
* Nasiriyah
* Afghanistan (20 Oct)
* New York City truck
* Sinai mosque
* Kabul bombing (28 Dec)
* Saint Menas church

2018|

* Baghdad bombings
* Save The Children Jalalabad
* Kizlyar church shooting
* Kabul bombing (Mar)
* Carcasonne & Trèbes
* Kabul bombing (22 Apr)
* Kabul bombings (30 Apr)
* Tripoli
* Mako Brimob standoff
* Paris knife
* Surabaya bombings
* Liège
* Jalalabad bombing (Jul)
* Mastung & Bannu bombings
* Quetta bombing
* As-Suwayda
* Tajikistan attack
* Kabul (Sep)
* Ahvaz military parade
* Minya bus
* Melbourne stabbing
* Murders of Louisa Vesterager Jespersen and Maren Ueland

2019|

* Jolo Cathedral bombings
* Sri Lanka Easter bombings
* Sainthamaruthu shootout
* Kabul bombing (17 Aug)

2020|

* Kabul shooting (6 Mar)
* Kabul gurdwara
* Xitaxi
* Afghanistan (May)
* Jalalabad prison
* Jolo bombings
* Kabul University
* Vienna
* Afghanistan (Dec)

2021|

* Machh
* January Baghdad bombings
* Kabul school bombing
* Kabul airport
* Kunduz bombing
* Kandahar bombing
* Kampala bombings
* Kabul hospital

2022|

* Diyala massacre
* Peshawar mosque
* Hadera shooting
* Mazar-i-Sharif mosque bombing
* Mazar-i-Sharif minivan bombings
* Bourasso and Namissiguima
* Kuje prison break
* 5 August Kabul bombing
* August Kabul mosque bombing
* Bombing of the Russian embassy in Kabul
* Shah Cheragh
* Kabul hotel

2023|

* Kabul airport bombing
* Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Afghanistan bombing
* Al-Sukhnah
* Hama
* Khar bombing
* Arras school stabbing
* Pul-i-Khumri bombing
* Brussels shooting
* Kabul bombing (Nov)
* Paris
* Mindanao State University bombing

2024|

* Kerman bombings
* Istanbul church shooting
* Balochistan bombings
* Sibi bombing
* Mucojo attack
* Karabulak clash
* Kandahar New Kabul Bank bombing
* Tillabéri attack
* Crocus City Hall attack
* 2024 Guzara Attack
* 2024 Bamyan shooting
* 2024 Beirut US embassy shooting
* Rostov-on-Don pre-trial detention center hostage crisis
* 2024 Dagestan attacks
* 2024 attack on the Israeli embassy in Belgrade
* 2024 Muscat mosque shooting
* 2024 Kabul bus bombing
* Surovikino penal colony hostage crisis
* 2024 Solingen stabbing
* 2024 Qala Bakhtiar bombing
* 2024 Afghanistan bus shooting

2025|

* 2025 New Orleans truck attack
* 2025 Villach stabbing attack
* Kasanga massacre
* 2025 Darul Uloom Haqqania bombing

Politics and organization|

* Finances
* Education
* Ideology
* Medicare
* Military
* Armoured warfare
* Human rights
* Genocide of Christians
* Persecution of Shias
* Genocide of Yazidis
* Genocide of Turkmen
* Persecution of gay and bisexual men
* Killing of captives
* Beheading incidents
* Destruction of cultural heritage
* Occupation of Mosul
* Executions in Mosul

Relations|

* Iran and the Islamic State
* Philippines and the Islamic State
* United Kingdom and the Islamic State
* Trinidad and Tobago and the Islamic State
* Foreign fighters
* Name changes due to the Islamic State
* Portrayal of the Islamic State in American media
* Connection with Saddam Regime and Baath Party

Society|

* Members
* Terrorist cell in Brussels
* Territorial claims
* al-Barakah district
* Collaboration

Media|

* A Second Message to America
* Al-Bayan
* Al-Fatihin
* Al-Furat Media Center
* Al-Hayat Media Center
* Al-I'tisam Media Foundation
* Al-Naba
* Al-Raud
* Amaq News Agency
* Dar al-Islam
* Dabiq
* Dawlat al-Islam Qamat
* Flames of War: The Fighting Has Just Begun
* Huroof
* I'lam foundation
* Istok
* Konstantiniyye
* Rumiyah
* Salil al-Sawarim
* The End of Sykes-Picot
* Turkey and the Fire of Racism
* Voice of Khorasan

Related topics|

* Defeating ISIS
* The Islamic State (documentary)
* ISIS-chan
* Islamism
* Millenarianism
* Sexual violence in the Iraqi insurgency
* Shia–Sunni relations
* Slavery in 21st-century jihadism
* Theocracy

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