Intel: US doubles reward for information on Islamic State leader

Elizabeth Hagedorn

Jun 24, 2020

A member loyal to the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) waves an ISIL flag in Raqqa June 29, 2014. The offshoot of al Qaeda which has captured swathes of territory in Iraq and Syria has declared itself an Islamic "Caliphate" and called on factions worldwide to pledge their allegiance, a statement posted on jihadist websites said on Sunday. The group, previously known as the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), also known as ISIS, has renamed itself "Islamic State" and proclaimed its leader — A member loyal to the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) waves an ISIL flag in Raqqa, June 29, 2014. — REUTERS/Stringer

The US government is doubling the reward offered for information on the whereabouts of the man believed to be the current leader of the Islamic State (IS, or ISIS).

“I am pleased today to announce the State Department has increased our reward offer, now up to $10 million, for information about the new leader of ISIS,” US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told reporters Wednesday.

Amir Muhammad Sa’id Abdal-Rahman al-Mawla, also known as Hajji Abdallah and Abu-‘Umar al-Turkmani, is listed as a specially designated global terrorist by the United States and is also sanctioned by the United Nations Security Council.

The US State Department describes him as one of IS's “most senior ideologues” who led some of the group’s global operations and helped orchestrate the slaughter and trafficking of the Yazidi religious minority in Iraq.

Intel: US doubles reward for information on Islamic State leader

The US government is offering $10 million for information leading to the location of Islamic State leader Amir Muhammad Sa’id Abdal-Rahman al-Mawla.

SUBSCRIBER EXCLUSIVE

Continue reading this exclusive analysis

Original reporting and analysis unavailable elsewhere. Subscribe to AL-MONITOR to read this story and access everything we publish

Read By