Abu Fatima al-Jaheishi

Abu Fatima al-Jaheishi, real name Ni’ma Abd Nayef al-Jabouri, is a senior military leader in ISIS.Paul Cruickshank, Tim Lister, and Michael Weiss, “Who might lead ISIS if al-Baghdadi dies?,” CNN, July 2, 2015, http://www.cnn.com/2015/05/11/middleeast/isis-leadership/;
“Exclusive: Top ISIS Leaders Revealed,” Daily Star (Beirut), October 17, 2014, http://dev.thedailystar.net/exclusive-top-isis-leaders-revealed-46127;
Tom Vanden Brook and John Bacon, “U.S. can’t confirm reports Islamic State leader killed,” USA Today, June 14, 2016, http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2016/06/14/us-cant-confirm-reports-islamic-state-leader-killed/85859086/. According to an uncorroborated June 2016 media report, Jaheishi succeeded former ISIS deputy of Iraq Abu Muslim al-Turkmani after the latter was killed in a U.S. airstrike in August 2015.Tom Vanden Brook and John Bacon, “U.S. can’t confirm reports Islamic State leader killed,” USA Today, June 14, 2016, http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2016/06/14/us-cant-confirm-reports-islamic-state-leader-killed/85859086/;
“Statement by NSC Spokesperson Ned Price on the Death of ISIL Deputy Leader Fadhil Ahmad al-Hayali,” White House, August 21, 2015, https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2015/08/21/statement-nsc-spokesperson-ned-price-death-isil-deputy-leader-fadhil.

Reports in July 2015 suggested Jaheishi headed ISIS’s military committee and was ranked among the group’s top five commanders.Paul Cruickshank, Tim Lister, and Michael Weiss, “Who might lead ISIS if al-Baghdadi dies?,” CNN, July 2, 2015, http://www.cnn.com/2015/05/11/middleeast/isis-leadership/;
“Exclusive: Top ISIS Leaders Revealed,” Daily Star (Beirut), October 17, 2014, http://dev.thedailystar.net/exclusive-top-isis-leaders-revealed-46127;
Tom Vanden Brook and John Bacon, “U.S. can’t confirm reports Islamic State leader killed,” USA Today, June 14, 2016, http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2016/06/14/us-cant-confirm-reports-islamic-state-leader-killed/85859086/. Jaheishi is believed to have previously headed ISIS’s operations in southern Iraq. He also reportedly served as the ISIS-appointed governor of Kirkuk.Hisham al-Hashimi, “Revealed: the Islamic State ‘cabinet’, from finance minister to suicide bomb deployer,” Telegraph (London), July 9, 2014, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/iraq/10956193/Revealed-the-Islamic-State-cabinet-from-finance-minister-to-suicide-bomb-deployer.html;
“Exclusive: Top ISIS Leaders Revealed,” Al Arabiya, February 13, 2014, http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/2014/02/13/Exclusive-Top-ISIS-leaders-revealed.html. Following reports that ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi had been seriously injured in both July and October of 2015, media outlets suggested Jaheishi as his possible successor.Paul Cruickshank, Tim Lister, and Michael Weiss, “Who might lead ISIS if al-Baghdadi dies?,” CNN, July 2, 2015, http://www.cnn.com/2015/05/11/middleeast/isis-leadership/;
Vicky Nanjappa, “Meet ISIS chief Baghdadi’s 9 possible successors,” OneIndia, October 13, 2015, http://www.oneindia.com/international/meet-isis-chief-bhagdadi-s-9-possible-successors-1898036.html;
Vicky Najappa, “To become the next ISIS chief these are the pre-requisites,” OneIndia, June 14, 2016, http://www.oneindia.com/india/become-the-next-isis-chief-these-are-the-pre-requisites-2127103.html.

According to Jordanian ISIS expert Hassan Abu Haniyeh, as of February 2017 Jaheishi reportedly served as the governor of the Middle Euphrates River Valley, the region surrounding the Syrian city of Deir Ez Zor. “كيف يختار "داعش" قياداته.. وما أبرز الجنسيات؟,” Al Alam, February 18, 2017, http://www.alalam.ir/news/1926837/%D9%83%D9%8A%D9%81-%D9%8A%D8%AE%D8%AA%D8%A7%D8%B1--%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%B9%D8%B4--%D9%82%D9%8A%D8%A7%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%AA%D9%87---%D9%88%D9%85%D8%A7-%D8%A3%D8%A8%D8%B1%D8%B2-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AC%D9%86%D8%B3%D9%8A%D8%A7%D8%AA%D8%9F. This move suggests that Jaheishi left Iraq for Syria as ISIS continued to lose ground to Iraqi and Coalition forces. However, on November 3, 2017, Russian and pro-regime forces captured the ISIS-controlled city of Deir Ez Zor along the Euphrates and by early 2018 ISIS only controlled a few villages along the eastern side of the river.“Weekly Conflict Summary November 2-8, 2017,” Carter Center, November 8, 2017, https://www.cartercenter.org/resources/pdfs/peace/conflict_resolution/syria-conflict/weekly-conflict-summary-2017.11.02-08.pdf; “ Conflict Summary December 21, 2017-January 10, 2018,” Carter Center, January 10, 2018, https://www.cartercenter.org/resources/pdfs/peace/conflict_resolution/syria-conflict/weekly-conflict-summary-2017.12.21-2018.01.10.pdf. Jaheishi’s whereabouts since are unknown.

Also Known As

Extremist entity
ISIS
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Type(s) of Organization:
Insurgent, territory-controlling, religious, terrorist, violent
Ideologies and Affiliations:
Islamist, jihadist, pan-Islamist, Salafist, takfiri
Position(s):
Senior military leader and Emir of Iraq

ISIS is a violent jihadist group based in Iraq and Syria. The group has declared wilayas (provinces) in Egypt, Libya, Algeria, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Nigeria, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and the North Caucasus. ISIS has also waged attacks in Turkey, Lebanon, France, Belgium, Iraq, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Malaysia, Tunisia, and Kuwait.

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